Weeping White Spruce Tree Guide: Locations, Species, Types (Dwarf vs Full Size)

Georgette Kilgore headshot, wearing 8 Billion Trees shirt with forest in the background.Written by Georgette Kilgore

Forestry, Trees and Tree Planting | February 29, 2024

Man hiking in the woods with a stick looks up at the tall weeping white spruce tree behind him and wonders if there is an identification guide to dwarf weeping white spruce and instructions on how to grow weeping white spruce trees.

The Weeping White Spruce tree is instantly recognizable because of its slender form and stunning, blue-green foliage.

These types of evergreen trees can be planted in long rows to form an eye-catching privacy fence, and can also be used to keep strong winds from breaking smaller plants growing around them.1

Some gardeners prefer to use White Spruce as a focal point for rock gardens or so-called ‘oasis’ gardens, but did you know that you can grow these trees in a number of hardiness zones, and even indoors?

This comprehensive guide outlines everything you need to know about weeping white spruce trees before you plant them, and explains how to care for them both indoors and out.

Weeping White Spruce Trees

Weeping White Spruce trees tower over thousands of established small gardens in America, because their pyramidal shapes are often favored over other landscape trees.

The sharp, stiff needles stay attached to the tree throughout the year, even during the coldest weather.

Weeping White Spruce

(Picea glauca ‘Pendula’)

Weeping White Spruce tree in oval frame on green background.
  • Image by: Daniel Dumais27
  • Family: Pinaceae
  • Genus: Picea
  • Leaf: Sharp, with four ends and a spiral arrangement. Leaves are typically light green with individual needles that grow to a length of around one inch.
  • Bark: Grey-brown, rippled bark on mature trees.
  • Seed: Small black seeds extracted from cones.
  • Blossoms/Flowers: Male and female strobili that grow on one tree. Male strobili reach lengths of half an inch while female strobili grow to around one inch.
  • Fruit: Small, seeded cones that are red in color.
  • Native Habitat: Northeastern regions of the US, and Canada.
  • Height: 30 Feet
  • Lifespan: Average of 50 years
  • Canopy: Low and slender with minimal coverage.
  • Type: Evergreen, Conifer
  • Other Names: Canadian Spruce, Cat Spruce, Western White Spruce, Porsild Spruce

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Ranking

Least Concern

NE
DD
LC
NT
VU
EN
CR
EW
EX

Weeping White Spruce require a lot of maintenance to keep them in good shape.

This includes regular pruning and ensuring sufficient watering, even during winter.2

How To Identify Weeping White Spruce

Apart from their tall, slim shapes, how to identify Weeping White Spruce is made easy by examining the tree’s evergreen needles, bark, and fruit.3

The smooth bark of a young tree eventually grows scaly and turns a darker brown as the tree ages. The bark is relatively thin and can be damaged quite easily.

White Spruce needles are almost diamond-shaped and can grow up to 20 millimeters. They are evergreen, which means they retain their blue-green hue throughout all seasons, and the thin stomata lines also remain visible most of the time.

Closeup of Weeping White Spruce tree showing its needles and branches.

(Image: WSU Clark County Extension PNW Plants3)

The needles are also covered with a waxy substance that protects them from drying out. The drooping shape and the slightly flaring foliage that the tree takes on make it a popular choice for the holiday season – especially because the cones give it a Christmas look.

The cones, much like the trees themselves, remain slender and eventually open to reveal black seeds. The scales start out green and smooth, before turning light brown a few months after pollination.

While a single cone can hold up to 130 seeds, many remain empty due to insufficient pollination or insect damage. The cones also take the place of the traditional flowers that can be found on other types of trees.

Weeping white spruce identification chart graphic with images of weeping white spruce pine cones, leaves, bark in circle frames.

Weeping White Spruce trees grow well in direct sunlight and have a climate suited to growing zones 2-9.

They need moist, packed soil with an acidic count leaning towards the red side of the scale.4,5

Native Region and Habitat Growing Needs

If you’re interested in growing a White Spruce in your garden, you may be wondering, where does the Weeping White Spruce tree grow best, or how big does this tree get.

Just like several other types of evergreen trees, the White Spruce needs to soak up as much direct sunlight as possible every day. However, their native region and habitat growing needs haven’t evolved much beyond the cold conditions of northern America and Canada, which means they fare better in chilly climates.

If you live in a USDA zone between 3 and 7, your highly adaptable White Spruce will thrive. They do grow tall though, so take care not to plant them below power lines.6

Dwarf Weeping White Spruce

The miniature version of the spruce tree, namely the Dwarf Weeping White Spruce, grows to a cute 3 feet tall. Like their full-sized counterparts, dwarf spruces need full sun and a lot of water to grow well, and keep in mind that the base of the tree can get to around 10 feet, so if you plan to grow it indoors, plan ahead.

The dwarf variety, like the regular size tree, should be pruned to create dense growth, and treated with fertilizer every three years. Dwarf Spruce trees don’t grow fast, because they originate from harsh climates that stunt their growth.7

This means you can plant them in a container and you won’t have to transplant them for many years. They can thrive outdoors in a growing zone of up to 8 because they’re adaptable to different temperatures.

Don’t bring them indoors during winter, which is their hibernation season, because they won’t survive.

Weeping White Spruce Growing Guide

The guide on how to grow Weeping White Spruce trees follows mostly the same instructions for regular white spruces and the dwarf variety.

How To Grow Weeping White Spruce

A White Spruce must be planted in loamy, acidic soil that is not overly wet.

Weeping White Spruces are typically planted during spring so that the roots have the best chance of growing deep and strong before the onslaught of winter.

Measuring acidity of soil to know the right ways how to grow Weeping White Spruce tree.

(Image: pinus221)

As soon as the tree roots are established inside its container, the tree can be transplanted into a garden. Once the tree is inside the prepared hole in the soil, it must be held upright until the hole is filled in to prevent it from being damaged.

After the tree is secure, it should be watered and surrounded by mulch, taking care that it doesn’t come into contact with the trunk itself. It is important to keep watering a White Spruce tree for at least 12 months to ensure a strong root system.

Root systems grow in a ‘running’ formation as they continuously search for underground water sources. Weeping White Spruce trees are susceptible to disease and need to be pruned whenever fungus or insects invade the trunk.8

Growing these trees in close proximity might cause several of them to become diseased. If they become severely infected or invaded, the trees may need to be removed and destroyed.9

Related Reading: Purple Weeping Willow Tree

How To Grow a Weeping White Spruce From a Cutting

If you have a single tree and want to know how to grow a Weeping White Spruce from a cutting, the most important aspect to remember is that shoots must be removed during cool but not cold seasons.

Cuttings have the best chance of survival during early fall, provided they are healthy enough to begin with.

After being cut off, the shoots should be cleaned of dry needles and planted into well-drained soil. A root system will begin to form and as soon as it is established, the entire cutting can be replanted into a garden.

Here it should be exposed to enough sunlight, and the soil kept moist enough to encourage fast growth. If you notice the roots becoming weak, replanting the tree again might help.10

You can also choose to grow a Dwarf White Spruce tree indoors if you have a sunny room available. Because they are slow growers, they will grow well in large containers for a long time, without having to be replanted.

Weeping White Spruce Disease Prevention

Prevention is always better than cure, and it’s no different with Weeping White Spruce trees. Because they are easily infected with Rhizosphaera, a fungus that invades drought-ridden trees, it is important to water White Spruce regularly.11

Rhizosphaera Needle Cast infection, presence of tiny black and white dots on the needle is seen.

(Image: Mulvey, Robin22)

Once Rhizosphaera takes hold of a White Spruce, it will begin to lose its needles and individual branches will start to die. A good watering schedule will also prevent spruce blight, which causes the discoloration of needles and stunts the growth of new ones.

Non-thriving spruce trees planted in unfavorable climates often suffer from canker, which is identified by white lesions on the bark. Canker grows slowly in spruces, and takes years to start killing branches.

It can be prevented by replanting trees in a stress-free environment before the canker has a chance to invade them.12 Another common White Spruce problem is the Spruce Beetle and the Spruce Budworm, both of which can cause extensive die-offs.

Spruce Beetle

An adult brown Spruce Beetle created a large hollow on a Spruce tree trunk.

Spruce tree bark with Spruce Beetle (Image: Graham, Elizabeth23).

Spruce Budworm

A young green Spruce Budworm on the ground among fallen and dried pine needles.

A young Spruce Budworm (Image: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region24).

Spruce beetle attacks can be prevented by avoiding unnecessary damage to spruce trees and applying pesticides to non-infected trees. Spruce budworm infestations can be overcome or prevented by using pesticides, but this is only effective with backyard trees.13

Pesticides don’t have much of an effect on large forest groves.

Conservation Level

Weeping White Spruce trees have a high conservation level because they are important to the environment, and provide shelter and food for wild animals.14 They are also known as working trees, providing snow breaks, privacy, and shelter in hazardous climates.

White Spruce trees are not currently endangered and will not likely become so in the near future. At the same time, they are extremely vulnerable to fire and even the smallest wildfire will kill entire groves of spruce trees.

For this reason, they are mainly planted in areas throughout Alaska and Canada that don’t burn often. White Spruce is also important for commercial use, so whenever a growing site is disturbed by fire or other calamities, a rehabilitation process is immediately implemented.

Protection Against Climate Change

Ongoing climate change poses a very real threat to the existence of Weeping White Spruce trees, and can cause limited growth of young trees.

Various studies have shown that out of more than 25 White Spruce sites in Alaska alone, only five have continued to show positive growth rates as the temperatures continue to rise.

To combat the effects of climate change, forestry departments in the affected regions are intensifying their protection efforts and implementing new methods to help ecosystems recover and thrive even in warmer climates.

Part of the recovery efforts includes moving seeds to elevated sites and monitoring their progress continuously.15

Ongoing Efforts Needed as White Spruce Trees Appear in the Arctic

A recent discovery of spruce trees in the Arctic alarmed scientists to the extent that they’re reiterating climate warnings. The presence of spruce trees in this inhospitable environment signals ever-increasing temperatures and the very real possibility that human efforts to stop it, may fail after all.

Experts have long predicted that climate change will eventually cause White Spruce to migrate to colder climates, but their appearance in the Arctic was only supposed to happen a hundred years from now.

The icy region was also previously believed to only house low maintenance evergreen shrubs and not trees that would require as much care as White Spruce.

Perhaps even more terrifying, is the fact that this discovery proves Arctic ice is melting up to 4 times faster than previously thought.16

Weeping White Spruce: Growing and Pruning Guide

The Weeping White Spruce tree is native to the northern and northeastern regions of the US, as well as Canada, including the Avalon Peninsula. The first Weeping White Spruce in Europe was discovered in France in the 1800s.

Some spruce varieties are native to Europe, including the Norway Spruce.

How To Plant White Weeping Spruce

When you bring home your spruce saplings from your local nursery, there are a few things to do to prepare them for transplanting.

  1. Carefully chose your location. Spruce trees should be planted widely spaced in order to provide the ventilation needed so that rot and fungus will not take hold.
  2. Dig the holes about twice as wide as the root ball, and a few inches deeper.
  3. Gently loosen the roots by soaking them in water before spreading them out inside the hole.
  4. Back-fill around the roots using the soil that was removed, mixed with an organic fertilizer designed for evergreen conifers.
  5. Mulch around the base of the tree, but be careful not to allow it to touch the bark.

It’s also a good idea to speak to your local grower to garner more tips to ensure that your hedge is planted so that the trees will thrive.

Avoid planting the trees too closely to structures or fences, and don’t forget that the roots can disturb walkways, so plan for that eventuality.

How To Prune and Care for Weeping White Spruce Trees

Spruce trees can grow just fine on their own, but occasionally, you’ll want to trim away any bare or dead twigs and branches to help prevent disease.

Some tips include:

  • Never cut the top leader (the tallest middle branch)
  • Remove dead branches using sharp cutters
  • Completely remove and destroy any branches that become infected
  • To thin the tree, work on the lower branches and cut directly below a ‘knuckle.’

Most Weeping White Spruce trees only need pruned every few months to remain healthy.

Does the Weeping White Spruce Go Dormant in Winter?

Spruce trees typically grow slower during winter, but like the Weeping White Spruce variety, it doesn’t go into full dormancy and retains its needles throughout. Evergreen trees also produce oxygen year-round while absorbing and storing carbon.

When spring arrives, White Spruce go into full growth mode, producing pale green foliage that eventually transforms into the well-known blue-green shade.

Types of Spruce Bonsai Trees

Bonsai literally means, and refers to, plants in a container. Bonsai tree cultivation is a popular extra-curricular activity worldwide, and more than 16 types of bonsai trees can be used for growing and shaping purposes.

A bonsai Pine tree situated in a garden overlooking a valley.

(Image: Xuân Tuấn Anh Đặng25)

If you are a beginner, the best Bonsai tree types to consider are the Chinese Elm, Ficus, Red Maple, and Juniper trees.

However, Dwarf spruce trees can also be shaped in the same way.

Bonsai trees grow well in a specially-created potting soil mix that consists of lava stone and pumice.

Types of Bonsai Trees Indoor

The best types of bonsai trees indoor include the popular Ficus Ginseng, Schefflera, Snow Rose, Boxwood, and Rosemary plants.

Indoor bonsais are typically tropical trees that thrive in high humidity and direct light.

A potted bonsai tree with a thick trunk.

(Image: Tiểu Bảo Trương26)

If a bonsai is struggling to grow indoors, it should be misted a few times a day until new growth appears.

How To Trim a Spruce Bonsai Tree

Trimming a bonsai tree is meant to be a relaxing exercise, but there are some fundamental rules to remember. Once you have decided on a particular shape you would like the tree to take on, only prune shoots that grow outside of this shape.

What are the things to remember on how to trim a bonsai tree? Bonsai trees should be pruned regularly, using the correct pruners, to ensure that the shape remains visible.

Scissors should never be used in lieu of pruners because blunt metal can cause irreversible damage.

How To Care for a Spruce Bonsai Tree

How to care for a bonsai tree is different.

Indoor bonsai trees require a constant, stable temperature, while outdoor trees can be exposed to different elements. Both types of trees require a lot of sunlight and humidity, as well as enough water to grow properly.

The right soil, and proper pruner, will ensure a healthy tree for many years to come.

How Much Carbon Does Weeping White Spruce Sequester?

In Canada, shelterbelts of White Spruce trees have protected the soil for many decades, especially in the region of the prairies. The trees also provide healthier drinking water and keep topsoil from eroding too fast.

It has also been discovered, during all this time, that White Spruce sometimes act as a carbon sink which is highly beneficial to the environment.

So, exactly how much carbon does Weeping White Spruce sequester?

The answer lies in the carbon-capturing performance of the shelterbelts themselves. Studies done in Saskatchewan revealed that dense tree belts, including that of White Spruce trees, stored 10.8 Tg of which 3.77 Tg C can be found in the soil and foliage.

Related Reading: How Much Carbon Does a Tree Capture

Do All Forests Capture Carbon?

While all trees have the ability to capture carbon and release oxygen, some trees sequester more than others. With that being said, trees are still the main source of oxygen in the world.

This is mainly because wood is half-made of carbon anyway, and trees absorb extra carbon for many years as they grow and mature. After a tree dies, it takes a long time for the carbon to be released.

Climate change also has a negative effect on the carbon-storing system, because the hotter the temperature, the faster the carbon is released. In contrast to this process, White Spruce forests in Alaska hold on to their carbon stores, because of the cold climate.17

However, the carbon capture process is also slow, because of the decreased forest growth rate in the area. This does not mean that old forests should be cleared to make way for newly planted ones, because destroying a well-established forest will release copious amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

It will also take far longer for a new forest to start capturing carbon.

Facts About Weeping White Spruce

White Spruce trees have been known to live for up to 1,000 years, which is far beyond their average age of 50.

The Weeping White Spruce is beloved for its drooping branches and graceful stature that lends an instant aesthetic value to any landscape.

Weeping White Spruce tree growth chart showing full grown Weeping White Spruce on a line graph with Weeping White Spruce tree age on the x-axis and Weeping White Spruce tree height on the y-axis.

Here are some facts about Weeping White Spruce:

  • The genus name, Picea, was taken from pix, which is the Latin word for gum or glue found inside the bark of a spruce tree.
  • Spruce trees are often mistaken for pine trees because their needles look similar. The best way to identify spruce tree needles is to check for the blue-green color as well as the 3D shape.
  • Weeping White Spruce doesn’t have any toxic components, but novice gardeners may mistake the Yew for spruce. Yews are highly toxic and can be identified by their flat needles and red fruit.18
  • There are several types of weeping spruce trees including the weeping blue spruce, the brewer spruce, and the weeping Norway spruce.
  • Weeping White Spruces reach their full mature height after a minimum of 30 years.
  • White Spruce trees help other plants thrive, including flowering shrubs, perennials, and even roses.

Folklore, Significance, and Medicinal Qualities of Weeping White Spruce

The spruce tree, including all the varieties, has a spiritual meaning to many Native American tribes, even in modern times. Throughout history, the White Spruce was considered sacred because of its long lifespan, and the ability to hold on to its needles even through the harshest winter.19

Ancient Egyptians considered the Spruce tree to be the birthplace of Biblos, while Gallic culture says that the White Spruce is the origin of all trees.

The Yakuti people hold the Spruce tree close to their hearts, because of the belief that shamans are born in nests that hang from Spruce trees.

Greek mythology offers its own version of the sacred spruce tree tale, in which a Spruce tree is dedicated to the Goddess Artemis as a symbol of everlasting life. Weeping White Spruce trees are seen as a symbol of Christianity as well, with many believers decorating them over the Christmas season to celebrate the birth of Christ.

During the colonial era, the bark and needles of a White Spruce tree were considered to be helpful in the treatment of scurvy and other ailments.

Some took to brewing spruce beer, but this concoction was believed to be medicinal by nature instead of alcoholic because of the naturally high Vitamin C levels found in spruce trees.

Every part of the tree was used, including the roots which made for beautiful woven baskets. The resin tapped from Weeping White Spruce was used as glue to seal wood items including canoes.

To this day, house cleansing rituals include the burning of essential oils derived from a White Spruce tree and tucking a branch underneath a new pillow.

A Weeping White Spruce tree is also said to provide protection when planted in a new home’s garden.20

Knowing how to grow and care for Weeping White Spruce trees can transform your living spaces, both indoor and out.

Read More About Weeping White Spruce

References

1Lu, P., Parker, W. H., Cherry, M., Colombo, S., Parker, W. C., Man, R., & Roubal, N. (2014, May 13). Survival and growth patterns of white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) rangewide provenances and their implications for climate change adaptation. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4203285/>

2Gertens. (2023). Plant Finder Connection. Weeping White Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Pendula’) at Gertens. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://plants.gertens.com/12070009/Plant/5248/Weeping_White_Spruce/>

3WSU Clark County Extension PNW Plants. (2023). Weeping White Spruce. WSU Clark County Extension PNW Plants. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=150>

4Cope, J. A., & Winch, F.,. J. E. (2002, May 22). L. H. Bailey Hortorium. Know Your Trees. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/tree/whitespruce.htm>

5Audubon Rockies. (2013, December 24). Weeping White Spruce: A New Look at Spruce. Audubon Rockies. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://rockies.audubon.org/blog/habitat-hero/weeping-white-spruce>

6The Tree Center. (2023). Weeping White Spruce Trees For Sale Online. The Tree Center. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.thetreecenter.com/weeping-white-spruce/>

7NC State Extension. (2023). Picea glauca ‘Conica’. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/picea-glauca-conica/>

8Alaska Region. (2009, August). Common Trees of Alaska. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5320147.pdf>

9Van Keuren, M. (2022, September 20). Weeping White Spruce Tree for Sale – Buying & Growing Guide. Trees.com. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.trees.com/weeping-white-spruce-tree>

10Conservation Garden Park. (2023). Weeping White Spruce. Conservation Garden Park. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://conservationgardenpark.org/plants/1117/weeping-white-spruce/>

11Kanner, C. A., & Grabowski, M. (2019). Rhizosphaera needle cast. University of Minnesota Extension. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/rhizosphaera-needle-cast>

12Tian, P. (2022, March 29). Spruce Trees are Neat, but be Aware of Their Diseases in the Spring. Integrated Pest Management. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2022/3/spruceDiseases-PT/>

13Russell, M. R., & Albers, M. (2018). Eastern spruce budworm. University of Minnesota Extension. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://extension.umn.edu/forest-pests-and-diseases/eastern-spruce-budworm>

14Dr. Cregg, B. (2004, February). The Spruces. conifer corner. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.canr.msu.edu/hrt/uploads/535/78626/spruces.pdf>

15Sang, Z., Azcona, J. S., Hamann, A., Menzel, A., & Hacke, U. (2019, August 5). Adaptive limitations of white spruce populations to drought imply vulnerability to climate change in its western range. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6752154/>

16The World Economic Forum. (2022, August 17). Spruce trees have arrived in the Arctic a century earlier than expected. Here’s why. The World Economic Forum. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/08/climate-change-spruce-trees-arctic-century-earlier>

17Norman, C., & Kreye, M. (2020, September 24). How Forests Store Carbon. PennState Extension. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://extension.psu.edu/how-forests-store-carbon>

18Eat The Planet. (2023). Spruce – Surprisingly Edible Abundant Evergreen Tree. Eat The Planet. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from <https://eattheplanet.org/spruce-edible-evergreen-tree/>

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272018-06-20 P1380167 (5) Photo by Daniel Dumais. (2018, June 20) / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED | Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. Cropped and added text, shape, and background elements. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2018-06-20_P1380167_(5).jpg>