Picea smithiana Seeds | Morinda Spruce
LATIN NAME: Picea smithiana
COMMON NAME: Morinda Spruce, West Himalayan Spruce
Plant Profile
Among the ornamental and useful plants raised from seed, Morinda Spruce (Picea smithiana) stands out as a tall, evergreen conifer. Morinda spruce is a majestic tree of the western Himalaya, and its long, drooping branchlets give it a soft and graceful beauty. It is a tree of the high Himalaya, growing from northeast Afghanistan, across northern Pakistan and India, to central Nepal, and it is one of the most beautiful of the spruces, a rare plant of the mountain forests. Established plants reach around Fifty metres. Bees and other pollinators visit the flowers freely through the season. It is the sort of plant that quietly justifies the space it occupies.
Science & Biotechnology
Picea smithiana sits in the Picea group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Species has also been studied in horticulture, since it is one of the most beautiful of the spruces, prized for its graceful, drooping branchlets, and it is grown in parks and large gardens in suitable climates. Breeders and collectors still work with it, so well-kept seed remains available.
Uses & Benefits
Morinda Spruce works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Ecologically, morinda spruce is a keystone of the Himalayan forest. Its cones and seeds feed birds and small mammals, its dense evergreen crown gives shelter, and its deep roots hold steep mountain slopes and protect watersheds, while it is a majestic presence in high forests. Its economic value is real and considerable. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Spruces gave the world spruce beer, a vitamin-C antiscorbutic of explorers, and their resinous bud syrups remain a folk favorite for coughs; the timber sings in violins.
Growing from Seed
Starting Morinda Spruce from seed is simple and satisfying. A simple routine works well: sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, maintain even moisture, and provide bright light. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
At around fifty metres, it stays at a scale that suits modest gardens. Young plants want steady water; older plants take conditions as they come.
Related Reading
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