Black Spruce
Picea mariana
Pinaceae · coniferous tree · introduced
Last updated
Plant Profile
Size & Form
Height
30–40 ft
Spread
13 ft
Growth Rate
Slow
Size at 20 yr
20 ft
Lifespan
Moderate
Site Requirements
Light
Part Shade
Soil Drainage
Wet Tolerant
Soil pH
4.7-6.5
Water
High
Drought Tolerance
Low
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Ornamental Interest
Bloom Time
late spring
Origin
in northern North America
Watch for this season
Cytospora CankerHigh
Peak Spore Production and Dispersal
Damping-offHigh
Seedling Emergence - Postemergence Damping-off Risk
RustHigh
Uredinial Stage (Summer)
Pine needle scaleHigh
Crawler Emergence
+ 4 more — see full disease and pest lists below
Diseases: Regionally Documented (16)
Multiple genera (Melampsoridium, Thekopsora, Naohidemyces... Rust Rhizosphaera Needle Cast Oil Discoloration Of Foliage Botrytis Blight Abiotic or viral Bud Failure Cylindrocarpon spp. (now Ilyonectria spp.) Cylindrocarpon Root Rot Cytospora spp. (Valsa spp., Leucostoma spp.) Cytospora Canker Several soilborne Damping-off Drought Injury Heterobasidion occidentale Otrosina & Garbel Heterobasidion Root Disease Needle Distortion Phytophthora spp. (P Phytophthora Root Rot Phaeolus schweinitzii Schweinitzii root and butt rot Sparassis crispa (syn. S Sparassis Root Rot Fomitopsis officinalis, Porodaedalea pini, and other wood... Stem Decay Diaporthe vaccinii or Diplodia tip blight agents Tip Blight
Pests: Regionally Documented (15)
Elatobium abietinum Spruce aphid Pissodes strobi White pine weevil Oligonychus ununguis Spruce spider mite Coleotechnites piceaella Spruce needleminer Choristoneura fumiferana Spruce budworm Physokermes piceae Spruce bud scale Chionaspis pinifoliae Pine needle scale Orgyia pseudotsugata Douglas-fir tussock moth Adelges cooleyi Cooley spruce gall adelgid Dioryctria spp. Coneworm Cacoecimorpha pronubana Carnation tortrix Hemiberlesia ithacae Hemlock scale Lophocampa argentata Silverspotted tiger moth Cephalcia spp. Western webspinning sawfly Webworm
Phenological Calendar
View full calendar (5 stages)
| Stage | Typical Window |
|---|---|
| New growth flush BBCH 11 | May 15-Jun 15 |
| Pollen release BBCH 61 | May 1-May 31 |
| Pollen shed complete BBCH 69 | May 15-Jun 15 |
| Cone development BBCH 71 | Jun 1-Aug 31 |
| Cone maturity and seed shed BBCH 85 | Sep 1-ongoing |
Cultivars (1)
'Aureovariegata'
Common name: Variegated Black Spruce
Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Data Maturity Structured Multiple sources. Expert review underway.