Picea sitchensis
Sitka spruce
A narrowly conical coniferous tree to 50m, with wide-spreading branches when old. The bark is purple-brown becoming grey, and the needle-like foliage is dark green and sharply pointed. It produces cylindrical, green, later pale brown seed cones
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
Higher than 12 metresTime to ultimate height
20–50 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Pinaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Genus
Picea are evergreen trees with rigid, needle-like leaves arranged singly all round the shoots, and narrow, leathery-scaled cones borne near the ends of the shoots
- Name status
Correct
- Plant range
- Coastal W. North America
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in any deep, moist but well-drained, ideally neutral to acid soil in full sun. See conifer cultivation for more advice
Propagation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Architectural
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to adelgids, red spider mite and conifer aphid
Diseases
May be susceptible to honey fungus
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.