Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Picea glauca var. conica

Brand:  Monrovia

Description:

This fine variety has a dwarf habit with an excellent pyramidal form; dense, bright green foliage matures to gray-green; ideal as an accent, specimen or container plant; may need winter protection in exposed locations

Ornamental Features

Tiny Tower® Dwarf Alberta Spruce is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has grayish green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The needles remain grayish green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Tiny Tower® Dwarf Alberta Spruce is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Tiny Tower® Dwarf Alberta Spruce is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Topiary
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Tiny Tower® Dwarf Alberta Spruce will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Tiny Tower® Dwarf Alberta Spruce makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Nursery Notes

This plant in Colorado does best in morning sun only no afternoon sun.