How big does White spruce grow?

About 3.5 m × 2 m after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 15–30 m × 3–6 m.

What soil does White spruce grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, acidic.

Is White spruce hardy?

Hardy down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

How far from the house should White spruce be planted?

Plant it at least 8 m from buildings. Keep it at least 1.5 m from paving.

How much water does White spruce need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: low.

White spruce

Picea glauca

White spruce (Picea glauca) is a large tree that reaches 3.5 m × 2 m after ten years. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: low.

Illustration of White spruce — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

In the wild, white spruce is a forest tree 15 to 30 m tall, but nurseries sell almost only its dwarf forms: dense, slow-growing little conifers with soft needles that keep a regular shape without pruning. The best known is cone-shaped 'Conica' (about 130 cm in ten years, 3 to 4 m after decades); similar cones are bluish 'Sander's Blue', 'Rainbow's End' with yellow new growth and the even slower 'Daisy's White' with creamy white new growth, while 'Alberta Globe' is a ball (about 40 cm tall and 60 cm wide in ten years) and 'Echiniformis' a flat cushion. When choosing, look at the shape, the needle colour and the ten-year size; plant it in a cooler, airy spot in moist but well-drained soil and keep it away from hot walls and paving, because it copes badly with heat and drying out.

Watch out for

The worst enemy of the dwarf forms is spruce spider mite, which infests the dense, poorly ventilated cones in hot, dry sites (next to a wall, fence or paving): needles turn speckled yellow, then brown and drop, and the bare brown patches never green up again. Tap branches over white paper in spring and early autumn and treat in time when mites appear. It copes badly with the hot, dry summers of Central Europe and browns without watering; in winter drying wind and reflected sun can scorch the needles on the sunny, windy side. It sometimes reverts to the species: cut out any vigorous, fast-growing shoot with longer needles at its base or it will outgrow the dwarf part (on the coloured cultivars also any shoot reverting to green). Weakened plants can also get a needle cast fungus. It dislikes polluted city air and road salt as well. Shops sell almost only its dwarf or columnar cultivars, which stay a fraction of the size of the species: check the size of the cultivar you choose before you buy.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 3.5 m × 2 m
Hardiness: down to -40 °C
Foliage: Evergreen

All details

Group	Large tree
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 2 m
Ultimate size	15–30 m × 3–6 m
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Acidic
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	no data
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	at least 8 m
Distance from paving	at least 1.5 m
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	500 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

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