Norway Spruce

 The Norway Spruce’s leaves are dark green, tough needles that often grow in bundles of two to five and have a slight curve. Branches tend to droop, an adaptation to the trees’ native habitats, where they are frequently weighed down by snow. The trees are woody, with brown, scaly bark that feels rough.

Norway spruce are monoecious or bisexual, meaning they produce male and female cones. The female cones are larger and much longer than they are wide and hang from the branches like Christmas tree ornaments.

Male cones are smaller, come and go seasonally, and produce abundant pollen dispersed by the wind. When the pollen lands on a female cone, the sperm can fertilize the ovules within the female cone’s scales. Pollination runs from May to June; seeds mature and are released in late fall. 

Insect pests like mites, spruce budworms, and spruce bark beetles can affect trees. While these pests can kill millions of trees, they also serve as an important food source for other animals, including larger insects and birds.

In a healthy ecosystem, the trees and their pests can survive partly because they are not defenseless. Norway spruce produces resins that help protect them against insects and help protect the trees from bacterial and fungal infections. Humans can use resins to heal skin ulcers or treat infected wounds.

Wood from Norway spruce can be used for furniture and paper production. It is also commonly used to make stringed instruments like violins because of the unique sounds it makes. New York’s Rockefeller Center often uses the biggest and best Norway spruce trees as Christmas trees. 

*This resource is a product of Dr. Sara Wright’s Plant Diversity course in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department.