Spruce is a genus of evergreen conifers that belongs to the Pine family. This plant is considered one of the most beautiful trees in the world. It is a common attribute of everyone’s favorite holiday - the New Year. At the same time, not every person knows exactly how long a spruce tree lives. This culture is considered long-lived, but the specific age depends on many conditions.
Varieties of fir trees
Today there are many varieties of spruce trees, each of which has certain characteristics:
- Ayanskaya – also called small-seeded.This crop, originally from the Far East, is distinguished by its conical crown and slenderness. An important feature of the tree is the two-colored needles. Below it has a rich bluish color, and above it is dark green. The cones are characterized by a cylindrical shape and a light brown color. This crop can reach a height of 40-50 meters. It grows well in the shade, but does not withstand swampy soil.
- Serbian - This variety is often called Balkan. It is characterized by horizontally located branches with a slightly bent middle part. The new growth hangs down like a fringe. This makes the appearance of the plant very unusual.
- Ordinary - such a spruce often called European. This variety is considered very common. It is distinguished by a cone-shaped crown and horizontal side shoots. The needles are tetrahedral in shape and dark green in color. The tree is highly resistant to frost and can withstand shade well. At the same time, the plant does not tolerate drought and stagnant moisture. It can reach a height of 50 meters. The first cones appear only at 15-25 years.
- Canadian - also called gray or white. This crop is considered the most frost-resistant. It is completely undemanding to the composition of the soil. The plant has a slender cone-shaped crown. In young trees, the shoots are directed upward at an angle, but after some time they fall down. The needles are bluish in color and short in length.
- Blue – also called prickly. This crop can withstand frost well and is characterized by resistance to dry weather and winter winds. This plant grows well in urban conditions. It is large in size and has a cone-shaped crown.The cones are small in size and characterized by a light brown color. They ripen in the first half of autumn, but remain on the tree until spring. The color of the needles depends on the amount of wax coating. The more it is, the lighter the needles.
- Siberian - this spruce grows in northern Europe and Asia. This culture perfectly copes with the harsh climate. In this case, the quality of the soil does not matter much. The plant grows well in the shade and can reach a height of 30 meters. By the age of 12, the tree grows up to 4 meters. It has a cone-shaped crown and small dark green needles. The cones are compact in size and red-brown in color.
- Engelman - this spruce has slightly drooping branches. They are first decorated with cherry and then with light brown cones. The plant is characterized by bluish-green needles measuring 3 centimeters in size. The tree has a cone-shaped crown and reaches a height of 20 meters. The plant easily withstands frost and is considered undemanding to growing conditions.
Average life time
Under natural conditions, the average lifespan of a plant is 200 years. This period may decrease with the development of pathologies. Needle diseases also lead to problems. In addition, extreme frosts can cause crop death.
The lifespan of spruce grown on the site depends on many factors. The tree that takes root best is one that was grown in the same area. In this case, the lifespan of the culture reaches 300 years.
The most durable Christmas trees
The longest life expectancy is characteristic of Sitka spruce, native to North America. Representatives of this species can reach 500-800 years. The Engelmann spruce lives a little less. Its lifespan is 400-600 years.Approximately the same indicators are typical for the prickly variety.
Methods for determining age
The lifespan of a spruce or pine tree can be determined by its annual rings. The fact is that every year the tree grows a new ring. You can also determine the age without cutting down the tree. To do this, you need to count the number of tiers of branches. On Christmas trees, shoots grow in the form of rings or whorls. Every year a new tier appears. During the first 3-4 years they do not form.
Therefore, calculating age is not difficult. To do this, you need to determine the number of tiers of branches and add 3. This is relevant if the top was not cut down and the tree was not formed.
Is it possible to extend the life of a tree?
Norway spruce easily withstands dry weather. At the same time, low-growing varieties and young plants may die due to moisture deficiency. Therefore, it is recommended to water such plants on time, especially when planting in winter. To prevent waterlogging of the soil and rapid evaporation of moisture, the tree trunk circle is mulched.
In order for the spruce to grow better and live longer, it is worth applying complex fertilizers. When replanting the tree, it is recommended to water it with stimulating agents. In order for the tree to develop normally, it is necessary to carry out periodic pruning. During the procedure, it is recommended to remove dry and diseased branches, which take away the tree’s strength and reduce its lifespan.
Spruce is a fairly common coniferous plant that is often used in landscape design.This tree is considered long-lived. However, to increase the lifespan of a crop, it needs to be provided with quality care.
