Chinese spruce, Dragon spruce. Rough spruce. Picea asperata Seeds. A rare, interesting spruce.

Chinese spruce, Dragon spruce. Rough spruce. Picea asperata Seeds. A rare, interesting spruce.

The spruce got its name because of its many “heads” – small spruces grow on each larger branch and the trunk has three tops. Observe the branches and trunk. The spruce has healing powers. Rare.

Ornamental tree. Can be used in landscaping for planting singly or in groups. Not recommended for use in urban landscaping, as it does not tolerate air pollution well. The tips of young shoots and cones can be used to make a refreshing tea rich in vitamin C.

The species is distributed in western and northwestern China – in the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Shanxi and Yehol. In the mountains at an altitude of 2000-3800 m above sea level, it forms pure stands, and also grows in river basins.

Evergreen, 30(45) m tall tree in its homeland. Crown broadly conical or pyramidal. Branches horizontally erect, curved in older trees, branch tips bend upwards.

Bark grey-brown, fissured, young shoots yellowish-grey, shiny, hairy. Buds pointed, resinous, bud scales appressed, slightly bent at the end (!), needles on twigs radial, bluish-green, 10-20 mm long, 1 mm wide, four-sided, with 3-5 apical bands on each plane, stiff, sharp, often curved. Cones cylindrical, 8-14 cm long, initially light brown, later chestnut brown.

Cone scales rounded at the end, hard, woody. Cone matures in October.

Grows in acidic to neutral, well-drained, sufficiently moist to dry loam or clay soils. Light-requiring, does not tolerate shading. Does not tolerate air pollution.

An easily shaped spruce, which allows you to experiment with both height and shape.

Seeds can be sown in autumn and stratified naturally, but can be sown in spring, soaked for 24 hours in water and then kept in a moist substrate for 30 days.

Seeds in a package of 3 pcs.