White Spruce

Picea glauca

Pinaceae · coniferous tree · native

Last updated March 9, 2026

Picea glauca (Pinaceae) is a large evergreen conifer native to North America from Alaska and Labrador south to New York and Minnesota. It grows to 80 feet tall with a dense, conical crown and glaucous (bluish-green) foliage. The species is one of the most adaptable and widely distributed North American conifers.

White spruce tolerates a broad range of conditions including cold, heat, drought, and urban environments. It grows in full sun on a range of soil types. Dwarf cultivars are widely used: 'Conica' (Alberta spruce, 6 to 8 feet, dense conical) is the most popular. Spider mites are the most common pest in warm conditions. Hardy in Zones 2a to 8b.

Plant Profile

Size & Form

Height

80 ft

Spread

16 ft

Growth Rate

Slow

Size at 20 yr

30 ft

Lifespan

Moderate

Site Requirements

Light

Sun to Part Shade

Soil Drainage

Adaptable

Soil pH

4.0-8.2

Water

Moderate

Drought Tolerance

High

Hardiness

Zones 2a–8b

Ornamental Interest

Bloom Time

Non-flowering

Origin

from Alaska to Labrador, south into Montana

Cytospora CankerHigh

Spring Canker Activation

Damping-offHigh

Spring Sowing - Preemergence Damping-off Risk

RustHigh

Aecial Stage (Alternate Host)

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 (4 stages)

Stage	Typical Window	What to Look For
New growth flush BBCH 11	May 15-Jun 15	Lighter-colored new growth visible at branch tips; blue-green needles on sterigmata (woody pegs)
Pollen release BBCH 61	May 1-May 31	Male strobili releasing pollen (yellow clouds visible on calm mornings); female cones enlarging
Pollen shed complete BBCH 69	May 15-Jun 15	Male strobili fading; female cones actively enlarging
Cone development BBCH 71	Jun 1-Aug 31	Erect cones enlarging, light green to light brown, small (3-6 cm)

Cultivars (4)

'Conica'

Common name: Dwarf Alberta Spruce Dwarf White Spruce; Mature height: 10–12 ft

Hardy to USDA Zone 2

'Densata'

Common name: Black Hills Spruce; Mature height: 20–40 ft

Hardy to USDA Zone 2

'Pendula'

Common name: Weeping White Spruce; Mature height: 40 ft

'Sanders Blue'

Common name: Sander's Blue Alberta Spruce; Mature height: 2 ft

Hardy to USDA Zone 3

Data Maturity

Structured Multiple sources. Expert review underway.