Dwarf alberta spruce question

12 years ago

When a dwarf alberta spruce 'reverts' back to its normal growth, what type of a tree is it reverting to? Sounds like it should be a regular 'Alberta spruce' but I heard it's a white spruce. Just curious!

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Comments (7)

taxo_man
12 years ago
Yep, Picea glauca (white spruce).
That reverted growth should be pruned out.

J
Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
12 years ago
There isn't such a thing as an 'Alberta spruce'....well at least not as a species. Once a reversion occurs, the reverted sport is no longer Picea glauca 'conica' and just becomes Picea glauca again....at least until someone names the new sport.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
hey main

first find the latin.. check out the link ..

not far down.. you find the latin === Picea glauca 'Conica'

conica usuaally means dwarf in conifer-ese .... [they will probably argue with me on that over-generalization .. but they have nothing else to do]

so.. it is a dwarf Picea glauca ...

picea making it a spruce in common parlance ... and only God and three people here know or care why they add white to it ... are others red ?? blue???? i dont see any white in it ... whats that all about [can you tell i am coming out of my funk???]

and glauca being the species ...

now.. have you ever seen what you are pondering.. or do you just dream these things up .. lol ... just kidding.. pic below ... do note it has lost the dwarf growth habit of the plant it is on.. and reverting to the normal growth rate of the species ...

i like your ponderings.. how about some more.. though the odds i will have a pic are low.. lol

ken
{{gwi:633265}}

Here is a link that might be useful: its why we dont prefer common names.. rather than the latin ....
mainblaine456
Original Author
12 years ago
well, there are red spruce and black spruce, but they're not red or black lol!

White spruce smell like cat pee, so i guess my 'Dwaf alberta spruce' is just a 'witches broom' from a white spruce.

Mine has spider mites, i'm working on getting read of. I don't like them that much, you see them too much in grave yards...It fits its spot well, though.
tunilla
12 years ago
"you see them too much in grave yards"
Spider mites or Alberta Spruces??? T.
pineresin
12 years ago
Picea glauca = White Spruce. Species occurs from Newfoundland across to Alaska. Divided into 3 or 4 varieties:

1. Picea glauca var. glauca: Typical White Spruce; eastern & central Canada
2. Picea glauca var. densata: Black Hills Spruce; North Dakota
3. Picea glauca var. albertiana: Alberta Spruce; western Canada (Rocky Mts)
4. Picea glauca var. porsildii: Alaska White Spruce; Alaska, NW Territories

Then there's various cultivars; Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Conica' is dwarf Alberta Spruce, selected for its slow growth. When it reverts, it goes back to normal Picea glauca var. albertiana.

Differences between the varieties are subtle; Picea glauca var. albertiana differs from var. glauca in having slightly downy shoots (hairless in the typical variety).

Hope that clarifies it all!

Resin
whaas_5a
12 years ago
Interesting, I was never aware of Picea glauca var. porsildii.

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Dwarf alberta spruce question

Comments (7)

taxo_man

Smivies (Ontario - 5b)

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Dwarf alberta spruce question

Comments (7)

taxo_man

Smivies (Ontario - 5b)

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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mainblaine456
Original Author