Picea orientalis - Oriental Spruces
Oriental Spruces (Picea orientalis) also known as Caucasian Spruce is native to the Caucasus Mountains and Asia Minor. It has a pyramidal shape with branches that bend upward at the tips. Deep green, short, blunt needles are arranged in a compact, whorled pattern around the branches, and light purple seed cones hang down, then turn brown as they mature.
Picea orientalis grows 6”-12” a year and 5’-10’H × 2’-3’W in 10 years. In cultivation, it grows 50’-60’H × 15’-20’W at maturity. Caucasian Spruce grows in USDA zones 4 to 9 in full sun and can grow in a variety of soils as long as they are well-draining.