Picea abies 'Hillside Upright' - Hillside Upright Norway Spruce

An elegant cultivar with irregular branching and an upright habit that produces a naturally stylish appearance, excellent as a garden focal point; needles are deep dark green and contrast the brown buds nicely

Height: 15 feet. Spread: 10 feet. Sun: full sun to partial shade. Hardiness zone: 3a.

Ornamental features

Hillside Upright Spruce is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The needles remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape

Hillside Upright Spruce is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Recommended for: Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use.

Planting and growing

Hillside Upright Spruce will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.