Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis)

This tree is said to have arrived at Spring Grove in the quantity of 500 and E.H. Wilson commented on a visit here that he thought our specimens were among the first ones introduced to the United States. It is definitely the friendliest of all the spruce species growing at Spring Grove with its short, plump and round tipped needles. The tree is described botanically as pyramidal in shape but that pertains only to the terminal area. The remaining portion of the tree is columnar and in time will reach 100-feet in height. This native of the Caucasus is another example of ease of culture those plants have in this part of the world. Our champion specimen reads at a 81-inch circumference, 89-foot height, 26-foot spread and rated at 177-points. The champion tree is in a small colony of like trees at the northern part of Section 47.