Description

Engelmann's prickly spruce (Picea Engelmannii)- a durable tree up to 20 meters high with hard, pointed needles of a silver-gray color. Similar to prickly spruce, differs from the latter in smaller cones and a narrower silhouette. It has a pyramidal, dense crown and slightly drooping branches, giving the spruce a slightly weeping appearance. The needles are shiny, relatively soft, flexible, straight, sometimes slightly crescent-shaped, colored steel-blue, up to 3 cm long. Young growth is much lighter; it stands out in contrast against the background of old shoots. The cones are 4-7 cm long, smaller than those of prickly spruce. The plant is light-loving; even in light shade the needles become darker and their shine is lost. It tolerates the wintering period without problems. Very frost-resistant, long-lasting in its range. Photophilous, decorative, but rare in culture.

In the summer months, increased watering is recommended. Care should be taken to ensure that there is no stagnation of moisture. Drying the roots is also harmful. Dry branches are periodically removed. Reproduction is carried out by sowing seeds, grafting and cuttings.

Crown diameter and height:	Height 15-20 m, crown diameter 4.5-6 m.
Needles:	spiny, dense, about 3 cm long, silvery in youth, later with varying degrees of color, from gray-green to blue-green.
Crown structure:	conical
Features of growth:	moderate.
The soil:	Prefers moderately moist, light loamy soils. Superphosphate or fertilizers for conifers are added to the soil during planting. The substrate is prepared from a mixture of rotten leaves, coarse sand, turf and peat.
Light:	Loves a sunny location, but tolerates partial shade. Favorable development occurs in diffused light, but the shadow is also not harmful.
Frost resistance:	Zone 3 - 6 Frost-resistant.
Purpose:	single plantings, group plantings in parks and home gardens.

Planting and caring for prickly spruce Engelman

Do not allow soil compaction and moisture stagnation. The landing site should be away from groundwater. It is imperative to make a drainage layer, in the form of sand or broken brick, 15-20 cm thick. If spruce trees are planted in groups, then the distance for tall spruce trees should be from 2 to 3 m. The depth of the planting hole is 50-70 cm.

It is important that the root collar is at ground level. You can prepare a special soil mixture: leaf and turf soil, peat, and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. Immediately after planting, the tree must be watered generously with 40 - 50 liters of water. It is advisable to apply fertilizer (100-150 g of nitroammophosphate, 10 g of root per 10 l, etc.).

Spruce trees do not like dry, hot weather, so during the hot season they need to be watered once a week, approximately 10-12 liters per tree. Carry out shallow loosening (5cm). For the winter, sprinkle peat around the trunk with a thickness of 5-6 cm; after winter, the peat is simply mixed with the ground, not removed. Spruces can also be planted in winter period.

Approximately 2 times a season you can apply fertilizer for coniferous plants.

Spruce trees usually do not need pruning, but if they form hedge pruning is allowed. As a rule, diseased and dry branches are removed. It is best to carry out pruning in late May - early June, when the period of active sap flow ends.

To protect the decorative forms of spruce from autumn and winter frosts, they can be covered with spruce branches. (cm. , ).

Picea engelmannii (Parry) Engelm.

Species characteristics and description. Tree up to 30-50 m tall, with a narrow cone-shaped, dense, sometimes asymmetrical crown. The trunk diameter can reach 90-100cm. The cones are ovoid-cylindrical, 5-7 cm long, up to 2 cm in diameter. The seeds are approximately 2-3 mm long, brown in color, the seed wing is about 1.2 cm long. Young cones are golden-green, dark brown when ripe, mature ones are nutty, then light Brown, covered with thin, relatively soft jagged scales, slightly oblique. The cones ripen in August-September and open in dry weather, releasing the seeds. The pine cones fall only in the spring, next year. The needles are bluish-green, with a silvery tint, sharp and thin, but not as hard and sharp as prickly spruce, about 1.5-3 cm in length, has four edges and on both sides, lives 10-15 years, in cultivation only 7-8 years old. The bark is thin, scaly, reddish-brown in color, and becomes lighter with age.

Engelmann spruce is very frost-resistant; in its range it can withstand frosts down to -50 degrees Celsius or more. It resists wind and snow well due to its narrow-cylindrical crown. In nature it grows in quite harsh physical conditions. Prefers moderately moist, light loamy soils and grows in any well-drained and moderately moist or moderately dry soil. Does not tolerate waterlogging and soil compaction. Engelmann spruce is very light-loving; in the shade, the needles quickly lose their shine and darken, and a young spruce can also lose the shape of its crown. Lives in nature up to 300-400 (1000) years.

Engelmann spruce is morphologically similar to prickly spruce, but differs from it in its narrower crown, thinner and less rigid bluish-green needles. In cultivation, it is almost as decorative as the prickly spruce.

Habitat and distribution. Grows naturally in the Rocky Mountains North America at high altitudes, from 1500 to 3500 m, mainly along the shady slopes of mountains and river valleys, up to the upper boundaries of the forest. Forms extensive forests, both pure and mixed, growing together with various types conifers and hardwood trees and shrubs such as spruce; prickly, black, Canadian, larch; Western and American, Canadian hemlock, pine; twisted, white-trunked, flexible, fir; subalpine, single-color, great, paper birch, aspen poplar, chokeberry, curled maple and other species.

Engelmann spruce was brought to Europe and is cultivated as ornamental plant since 1863. In Russia, Engelmann spruce began to be grown with late XIX centuries, but in very limited quantities.

Application and landscaping.

Engelmann spruce is very frost-resistant and quite drought-resistant, easily tolerating living conditions within the city. First 5-7 years in early spring need feeding from complex mineral fertilizers For better growth after transplantation. Also, do not forget to cut off dry and diseased shoots. In too hot or dry weather, young trees need to be watered more often and the soil near the trunk circle must be loosened for good aeration of the roots. In winter, especially in the first winter after transplanting to a new location, it is necessary to cover the plants from direct exposure to sunlight to avoid needle burns.

Picea engelmannii, Engelmann spruce – evergreen tree, growing up to 30 m by 6 m wide with average speed. It is a monoecious plant (individual flowers are male or female, but both sexes can be on the same tree) and is wind pollinated.

Description

The tree has a narrow pyramidal, heaped, sometimes asymmetrical crown shape. The trunk girth of an adult spruce can reach 90-100 cm. The cones are oval-tubular, 5-7 cm, up to 2 cm in diameter. Seeds are 2-3 mm, grayish-brown in color, the seed wing is about 1.2 cm. They remain viable for a long time. five years.

Young buds are golden-green; after ripening they turn dark brown, nut or light beige color. They are covered with small and short ragged scales, slightly beveled. The cones ripen in September and open in warm sunny weather, freeing themselves from seeds. The cones remain on the tree until the next spring. The needles are gray-green, with a silver coating, the tips are sharp and thin, they have four edges. Engelmann spruce has been in cultivation for only 7-8 years. The bark is thin, flaky, has a brown-burgundy color, becoming lighter as it grows.

Habitat

Grows in light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clayey) soils, but can grow in poor substrate. Suitable pH: low acidic and neutral, but also tolerates very acidic soils.

Engelmann spruce does not tolerate shade and prefers moist soil. The plant tolerates well strong winds, but not sea ​​salt. The tree is frost-resistant, withstands frosts down to -50 C and piles of snow. But it does not feel very good in the polluted atmosphere of the city.

Grows wild in quite harsh environments natural conditions. Engelmann spruce loves light; in the shade, the needles will soon lose their gloss and fade, and young seedlings may lose their crown.

Picea engelmannii is widespread in the rocky mountain regions of North America, Canada and British Columbia. Here the plants are scattered in small groups along river banks and mountain slopes, choosing semi-shady areas from 600 m to 3700 m above sea level. The climate prefers cold and humid (precipitation above 600 mm per year), with long, snowy winters and short, cool summers. This species forms large-area pure or mixed coniferous forests. Engelmann's spruce came to European territory as decorative culture in 1863.

Common varieties

Only a few varieties are known:

• silver - a medium-sized tree with silver-gray needles;
• weeping - gray, almost blue, needles. It is not very prickly, the advantage is that it grows quickly;
• blue weeping - has bluish-blue needles and hanging branches, at the base they touch the ground;
• small coniferous – dwarf spherical spruce, with small needles.

Application

Engelman spruce – has knotty, fine-grained, soft and light wood. She's not very High Quality however, is often used for home construction, millwork, furniture, plywood and specialized applications such as musical instruments(piano, violin). Its wood was once used to make railroad ties and telephone poles, but today mass production is directed toward the pulp and paper industry. Engelmann spruces are used as Christmas trees, and in Europe they are the most common species for this purpose.

The twigs and roots are crushed and used to make ropes. Baskets and various small household items are woven from the bark.

In medicine

The healing properties of spruce trees are used in medical purposes for centuries. Few people know that they ate as much vitamin C in the branches as black currants and sea buckthorn contain, and 7 times more than in lemon. In addition, the needles contain carotene, vitamins E, K, P, B1, B2, B6, PP and N. The bark is rich in tannin. Tinctures from the bark were used for respiratory diseases and tuberculosis. A decoction of leaves and bark is used to relieve cancer and treat coughs. The ashes of the branches mixed with oil are used to treat skin lesions. The resin obtained from the trunk treats eczema. Refreshing tea made from young shoots - rich in vitamin C.

A bathtub made of pine needles will calm you down stressful state, will relieve fatigue and restore working energy. Therefore, it is recommended to take it for vegetative-vascular dystonia, sleep disorders, neuroses or fatigue.

The needles fill the forest with phytoncides - a biologically active substance that kills pathogenic microorganisms. Such air can even cope with the tuberculosis bacillus; for this reason, tuberculosis hospitals are often located in coniferous forests.

Decoration of the site

Engelmann spruce is often planted on a site as a hedge against wind, snow, and to suppress noise. Such plantings are found both outside the city and within its boundaries, in the form of alleys and squares. The plant looks elegant in single and group plantings with any plants. Low growing varieties Perfectly suitable for rock gardens, fencing flower beds, and planted in bonsai compositions. The magnificent crown and flexibility of curly pruning make it possible to widely use spruce to decorate the site and city squares.

The famous Captain Cook and his sailors were able to avoid contracting scurvy through wine made from spruce branches. Healing properties This wine is due to the vitamin C content in its composition.

Engelmann spruce is an evergreen tree of the pine family. The tree is quite beautiful, with decorative blue needles - it is the Engelmann spruce that decorates the parks and squares of our cities. The tree is native to North America, but is now distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

In the photo there is an Engelmann spruce

What do we know about spruce?

Spruce, bearing the name of the famous German naturalist Theodor Engelmann, comes from North America, where it is found in the forest belt of the Rocky Mountains, at an altitude of up to 3.5 thousand meters above sea level.

In nature, spruce grows in pure or mixed forests, but not with deciduous trees, but with other evergreen coniferous fellows - fir, hemlock, pine, spruce of other species.

In Europe and Russia decorative blue spruce cultivated since the 19th century, and can live up to 500 years or more.

An adult spruce reaches 50 meters in height, the trunk grows up to 90 cm in diameter. Its crown is lush, cone-shaped, with gentle branches. The bark, like all representatives of this family, is scaly, thin, red-brown in color.

The needles are not too long - up to 2-2.5 cm, tetrahedral. Cones up to 7 cm long, cylindrical, light brown. They ripen by early autumn, and then the seeds can be extracted from them.

The tree is highly frost-resistant and can survive winters with temperatures dropping to -45 degrees.

Agricultural technology

Spruce is undemanding to climatic conditions and soil. It grows well on calcareous soils with sufficient moisture, but will also take root on a dry mountain slope.

It is better not to plant a tree in the shade of buildings, but to find a more spacious and illuminated place for it. In the planting hole you should arrange drainage system, then pour in some fertile soil, install the seedling and cover it with a soil mixture of leaf and turf soil, sand and peat. The root collar should be at ground level. Trees are planted at a distance of 3-3.5 meters so that when they are mature they do not interfere with each other. The soil around the roots is sprinkled with a small layer of peat.

Caring for a spruce tree is not at all difficult, the main thing is that it takes root in a new place. After planting, it is fed with nitroammophoska at the rate of 100-150 grams per plant. As for watering, they are carried out once a week, but in dry summers you will have to water more often.

The crown must be sprinkled with water, washing away dust and refreshing the needles. From time to time, the ground next to the spruce is loosened without removing the mulching layer of peat.

Only young seedlings less than 1-1.5 meters high are prepared for winter. To do this, install shields on the north side, wrap the branches with agrofibre in several layers, and sprinkle the roots with leaves or spruce branches.

Engelmann spruce grows slowly, growth is 20-30 cm per year. At this time, the crown is formed by pinching the dominant shoots and shortening the lateral ones.

Spruce, especially young plants, must be protected from spider mites, spruce aphids, spruce budworm, fusarium, stem and root rot, cone rust, and bark necrosis.

Coniferous trees have long been the object of attention of landscape designers and this is not surprising. Evergreen slender spruce trees are beautiful at any time of the year, in addition, their needles can purify the atmosphere. In this article we will talk about Engelmann spruce, the features of growing a tree on your own site.

Botanical description

Engelmann spruce - evergreen conifer tree, growing up to 50 meters, the diameter of the trunk with such growth can reach 90 cm. Every year the tree increases its height by twenty centimeters. This species is long-lived, natural conditions lives up to five hundred years, although the needles last no more than fifteen years.

Spruce has a dense crown in the shape of a cone, drooping branches, most often growing symmetrically. The trunk has scaly bark of a red-brown color, with small cracks. On young branches the bark is yellowish, with a fringe.

The kidneys of a representative of the species have the same elongated shape, like the crown. Young needles have a more blue tint in color, old ones have more green, the needles are tetrahedral, sharp, but not hard. The length of the needles is up to 2 cm.
In August, the cones ripen, large, egg-shaped, up to 7 cm long, brown in color (young ones are burgundy). Winged dark brown seeds are hidden under scales with sharp edges.

Distribution and ecology

The homeland of the Engelmann spruce is the forest of the Rocky Mountains of North America, also the Canadian province of British Columbia. Trees grow in groups along rivers and mountain slopes, preferring shady areas.

As the groups grow, they “climb” to a height of up to 3,500 thousand meters above sea level. They coexist perfectly with related species: fir and pine; with some species of larches, forming dense mixed or pure coniferous forests.

Did you know? Indians of North America, knowing about medicinal properties pine needles, they built wigwams from spruce, pine and fir branches for patients with pulmonary diseases. Patients remained in such a hospital until complete recovery. The fact is that needles contain phytoncides that can kill germs and viruses.

Application in landscape design

Most often, spruce trees are used as living protection from wind, snow drifts and to suppress noise. Such plantings can be found both outside the city and in urban environments, in the form of alleys and mini-parks. The tree looks good in single and group plantings with coniferous and deciduous plants.

Low-growing varieties decorate rock gardens, fence flower beds, and are used in bonsai compositions. Beautiful shape crowns and pliability to shaping haircuts makes it possible to successfully use Engelmann spruce as New Year tree, which is used by many owners of private houses.

Decorative types Engelmann spruces include:

Planting and care at home

When planting, it should be taken into account that many varieties react poorly to contaminated external environment. They are not recommended to be planted in areas with heavy industry, near busy roads, or near gas stations.

Selecting a location

The species is not afraid of winds; it tolerates both high and high altitudes equally well. low temperatures. Drought is also not a problem; only young seedlings require careful watering. Since in natural conditions the Engelmann variety forms dense plantings, it will develop just as well in a shaded place as in a lighted one.

It is not recommended to plant the species in areas where moisture stagnates, with groundwater close to the surface. This can be detrimental to the root system.

Substrate and soil

The plant is not picky in choosing soil; in nature it grows well on limestone. It is advisable to provide the culture with a drained, moderately moist substrate with neutral reaction, for example, loams.

Diseases and their prevention

Let's look at the main diseases of the species and how they manifest themselves:

Disease control involves treating plants with fungicides, usually by watering the tree at the root.

Preventive measures:

1. It is advisable to plant in a sunny area; prolonged shading develops moisture, which bacteria love.
2. Choose seedlings carefully.
3. When planting, treat root system fungicides.
4. Carry out timely sanitary pruning, treat the cuts with garden varnish.
5. In the spring, spray with preparations containing copper.

Video: how to trim correctly conifers

Pests and their prevention

The main pests of Engelmann spruce are:

The spruce leaf roller, according to its name, destroys the needles of the plant. The affected areas are treated with a soap solution, damaged needles are removed using a fan rake and burned. In advanced situations, systemic pesticides are used.

The spider mite settles and breeds voracious offspring, most often on young plants; due to its activity, the tree loses its needles. Pest control involves spraying colloidal sulfur, which can be used traditional methods: dandelion infusion, garlic. In case of severe insect infestation, acaricides are used.

Important! Avoid large settlements of ants (they breed aphids). In severe drought, spray the branches so as not to create favorable conditions for spider mite habitat.

Aphids and their numerous offspring suck out all the juices from the green parts of plants, which leads to the death of the tree. It is better to trim branches that are densely populated with aphids by treating the cut. The remaining areas need to be treated with a soap solution, having previously covered trunk circle plants so as not to damage the soil microflora.

Preventive actions:

1. Carry out timely sanitary pruning.
2. Take special care of young seedlings.
3. Avoid overwatering.
4. Carry out preventive spraying with insecticides.

Features of the care and planting process

As already mentioned, spruce prefers moist, drained soils, so when planting, prepare the most suitable mixture for it:

• turf land - two parts;
• leaf soil - two parts;
• peat - one part;
• sand - one part.

A hole for planting is dug with dimensions of 50x70, brick fragments are placed on the bottom as drainage in a layer of up to 20 cm. In the case of group planting, the distance between the holes is at least three meters.