Picea abies Eagle Point - Norway Spruce

Picea abies 'Eagle Point' is a dwarf variety of common spruce, resembling a small Christmas tree, both by its slightly flattened pyramidal habit and by its fine and dense foliage, composed of needles with very bright blue reflections. Little widespread, it is highly ornamental with its small rounded silhouette that elegantly integrates into flower beds, stands out when isolated, enlivens rockeries and adapts well to pot cultivation. Slow-growing, it is easy to grow in ordinary, well-drained soil, even dry, in full sun or partial shade.

Picea abies, also called Norway spruce or red spruce, is an evergreen conifer belonging to the pine family, native to northern Europe, more precisely Scandinavia. In its natural environment, it has a typically conical and pyramidal habit and can reach 30m (98ft) in height, or even more in Eastern Europe. This species is traditionally used as a Christmas tree in Europe. It appreciates well-drained and moist soils and is not afraid of very low temperatures.

The 'Eagle Point' variety, derived from this species, is a dwarf form with a spreading pyramidal habit. After 10 years, it forms a small bush 20cm (8in) tall and 60cm (24in) wide. Its growth is very slow. Eventually, it will reach 50cm (20in) in height and 80cm (32in) to 1m (3ft) in diameter. It has very tight, staggered branches. Its young spring shoots are tender and bright green, then its foliage darkens and becomes a very bluish green. Its small evergreen leaves are rigid, very prickly needles, densely arranged all around the branches, in 'candle' form. The root system of spruces is shallow and spreading, which makes them difficult to transplant when they are mature and particularly sensitive to wind.

The 'Eagle Point' spruce, with its lovely rounded tufted habit, its very small size, low maintenance, and easy cultivation, is a perfect plant for rockeries and terraces. It goes well with large stones, geometric lines, and masonry works. It can be associated with dwarf columnar or erect conifers. The real graphic qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures to the waltz of blooms. These plants, with their reassuring permanence, structurally and durably shape a flower bed, mark pathways, border terraces, easily substituting for the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. They go well with ground-cover plants like aubrietas, Cerastiums, shrubby salvias, as well as flowering shrubs. The key is to play with volumes and colours.