Picea abies 'Holy Family No. 1' / Holy Family No. 1 Norway spruce

Picea abies 'Holy Family No. 1' is a miniature globose selection of Norway spruce with tight symmetrical branching and short, radially arranged, dark bluish green needles. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 10 to 15 inches (25 - 40 cm) tall and wide, an annual growth rate of 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 - 4 cm).

This cultivar originated as a witch's broom found in the mid-1980s by Justin "Chub" Harper of Moline, Illinois and Randy Dykstra of Fulton. They found the original broom on the grounds of Holy Family Church, Dubuque, Iowa. In his field notes, Chub described the broom as, "small size, medium height, nice Blue."

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Picea abies 'Holy Family No. 1' — at Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Clinton, Iowa in the Heartland Collection of Garden Conifers, October 2005.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Picea abies 'Holy Family No. 1' — an historic photo of the original broom in Debuque, Iowa.
Photo by Chub Harper

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