Picea abies 'Heartland Gem' / Heartland Gem Norway spruce

Picea abies 'Heartland Gem' is a low, mounding selection of Norway spruce. It is very similar to P. abies 'Little Gem' but with a lower and flatter form. After 10 years, a mature specimen will measure 12 to 18 inches (30 - 45 cm) wide and 8 to 10 inches (20 - 25 cm) high, an annual growth rate of less than 2 inches (5 cm)

This cultivar originated as a witch's broom that appeared on a specimen of Picea abies 'Nidiformis.' Chub Harper gave Randy Dykstra the mother plant before the broom formed. The plant is still growing in Randy's garden in Fulton, Illinois.

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Picea abies'Heartland Gem' at Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Clinton, Iowa in the Heartland Collection of Garden Conifers, October 2005.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Picea abies 'Heartland Gem' — a mature plant in an arboretum setting.
Photo by Bill Barger
Picea abies 'Heartland Gem' — a closeup of foliage detail.
Photo by Bill Barger

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