Woody > Picea > Picea chihuahuana > Picea chihuahuana
Picea chihuahuana
Origin: The Picea chihuahuana was found and described in 1942, but it is only known from a few isolated, small stands at an elevation of about 2500 meters that are spread across the states of Durango, Nuevo Leon, and Chihuahua.
Mike's
Opinion
"
The Picea chihuahuana is a unique spruce because of its unique way to survive high climates and poor soil conditions. The tree was found back in 1942 and has maintained its status among other Piceas in forestry environments. The unique shape of the tree with the few long branches and many smaller branches gives the tree its defining feature. The tree is woody and is great against erosion control because it has developed a resistance from many generations of the chihuahua. Pest are not a big problem and deer do not eat the bark or leaves, which is weird, considering they eat the bark and leaves of other Picea species.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Pinaceae |
| Genus |
| Picea |
| Species |
| chihuahuana |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 6a - 9b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Greater than 9a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1 - H2 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-5) - 12 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 20 - 53 |
| Height |
| 25 - 45 m |
| Spread |
| 4 - 6 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Tree grows from 25–35 meters tall with a 1m width at base. the bark is pale grey, wrinkled, and scale-like, with many very short branches and a few long branches that hold up the trees canopy. The blue-green, shiny leaves have prominent stomatal lines, and they are 17 to 23 mm long, rectangular to slightly flattened in the middle, and have a long spine tip. The cones are cylindrical, green, maturing brown, and measure 7 to 12 cm long. They have densely packed or even crowded scales. The seeds are 3 - 4 mm, black, winged with a length of 10 to 12 mm. |
| Landscape |
| Picea chihuahuana is a popular ornamental tree. Additionally it is used for erosion control, windbreaks, and wood production. |
| Shape |
| Pyramidal, with pendulous branches. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| A spruce that can grow between 25-35 meters tall with pale grey coloured scaling bark. Only a few long, shiny branches on the base of the canopy, with more branches narrowing towards the top. It has four-sided pine leaves with some pungently pointed stomata on all sides. |
| Pests |
| Spruce Gall is common in spruce and is produced by insects called spruce gall adelgids. |
| Habitat |
| Found growing in the mountain ranges of Mexico. The elevation of the trees range to around 3000 feet above sea level, with a spread around 1000 km from the state of Durango, Colorado, to Chihuahua, Mexico. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The pale grey, wrinkly, and scale-like bark is like other Piceas. The bark gets thicker as the tree ages. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The blue-green, glossy leaves are 17–23 mm long, rectangular to slightly flattened in the middle, with a sharp spine tip and noticeable stomatal lines. |
| Leaf Description |
| The glossy, blue-green leaves are 17–23 mm long, rectangular, and with a slight centre thinning. the leaves last all year and get glossier as the tree ages. |
| Flower Description |
| The Picea chihuahuana flower is a tiny, single-celled, yellow-green flower. The seed is tiny, has wings, and is dark brown in colour. The tiny, dark green seedlings have short needles. They grow up to 23mm and stay that way for their life cycle. |
| Fruit Description |
| Fruit is a 13 cm long, light brown cone with rounded, tough scales. |
| Colour Description |
| A few big branches and many extremely short branches can be seen in the pale grey, wrinkly, scale-like bark. The glossy, blue-green leaves include strong stomatal lines. |
| Texture Description |
| The chihuahuana is a medium textured tree, the bark and branches grow thicker with age. The scales on the bark expand and become more prominent with age. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Picea chihuahuana is a popular ornamental tree because of its eye-catching foliage and unique pyramidal shape. It's used for erosion control, windbreaks, and wood production. |
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