Norway spruce vs Serbian spruce

Norway spruce and Serbian spruce are often considered for the same spot in the garden (specimen, screening). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Norway spruce

Picea abies 3.5 m × 2 m after 10 years

The species is a fast-growing, dark green, conical spruce with long hanging cones that can reach 25 to 35 metres tall and 8 to 10 metres wide in time,…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 60

Serbian spruce

Picea omorika 4 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A slim, spire-like spruce with short, drooping branches that turn up at the tips and needles that are silvery underneath; it takes little room for its…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 500

Key differences

Serbian spruce grows taller, Norway spruce spreads wider: 4 m × 1.5 m and 3.5 m × 2 m after ten years (an estimate: sources differ).
Serbian spruce copes better with summer heat than Norway spruce.
Serbian spruce tolerates drought better than Norway spruce.
Serbian spruce also takes chalky soil, Norway spruce prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk.
Serbian spruce also takes heavy clay, Norway spruce needs a loose, free-draining soil.
Serbian spruce needs less care than Norway spruce.

Which one to choose?

Serbian spruce is the better choice if the spot is hot and sunny, you cannot water regularly, the soil is chalky or the soil is heavy clay.

Watch out for

Norway spruce

In the lowlands and hills of Central Europe Norway spruces are dying in large numbers after the hot, dry summers of recent years, in gardens and parks too: the shallow-rooted, drought-weakened tree is attacked by the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus), which cuts off the flow of water and nutrients under the bark, and an infested tree cannot be saved and should be felled quickly. In dry, warm spots spider mites and the green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum) also cause needle drop, adelgids distort the new shoots, and weakened trees get needle cast, canker and root and butt rot (Heterobasidion). Do not plant the full-size species on dry, poor soil, in city gardens or on the plains, and remember that a planted-out rooted Christmas tree becomes the same large, demanding tree. The dwarf forms need moist soil and summer watering just the same, but being small they are easier to water and mulch.

Serbian spruce

Its best-known problem is the so-called omorika dieback: needles turn brown from the shoot tips and drop. It is not an infection but a physiological disorder triggered by magnesium deficiency, chloride building up in the soil (road salt, for example), compacted soil and weather extremes; a magnesium feed instead of potassium-rich fertiliser, loose soil and even watering prevent it, and it should not be planted next to salted roads or paths. In the hot, dry summers of Central Europe spider mites can turn the needles dull and greyish brown, and the green spruce aphid can make the older, inner needles drop. On heavy, airless soil root and butt rot fungi (Heterobasidion, honey fungus) may attack. It is somewhat less tolerant of polluted air than its reputation suggests, and it suffers both in prolonged drought and in waterlogged ground.

The data side by side

Feature	Norway spruce	Serbian spruce
Group	Large tree	Large tree
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 2 m (uncertain)	4 m × 1.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	12–35 m × 7.5–10 m	15–25 m × 3–7.5 m
Growth rate	Fast	Medium (uncertain)
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic, Calcareous
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Low	Medium
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Low
Planting distance	500 cm	400 cm
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about CZK 250 (< 40 cm)	about CZK 900 (< 40 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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