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shrub

Gowdy Oriental Spruce

Picea orientalis 'Gowdy'

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Gowdy Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis 'Gowdy') at Seoane's Garden Center

Gowdy Oriental Spruce fruit

Gowdy Oriental Spruce fruit

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Gowdy Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis 'Gowdy') at Seoane's Garden Center

Gowdy Oriental Spruce

Gowdy Oriental Spruce

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  10 feet

Spread:  5 feet

Sunlight:  full sun 

Hardiness Zone:  4a

Description:

This very slow growing variety is a real beauty; shiny needles are shorter and darker green than most; eventually forms a dense columnar habit, but will start out wider than tall; a perfect choice for accenting the landscape

Ornamental Features

Gowdy Oriental Spruce is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its rigidly columnar form. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The glossy needles are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The rough brown bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Gowdy Oriental Spruce is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. 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. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Gowdy Oriental Spruce is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Gowdy Oriental Spruce will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy, 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 should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Accent  Garden 
Applications
Foliage Color  Plant Form  Bark  Winter Value 
Ornamental Features