Picea abies 'Maxwellii' / Maxwell's Norway spruce

Picea abies 'Maxwellii' is an irregular dwarf, low growing compact, flattened globose selection of Norway spruce with dense, short stiff, branches holding thick, Blue-green needles that grow radially about the stem. A peculiar feature of 'Maxwellii' is a tendency to produce many short thick shoots with exceptionally thick needles and dense clusters of buds.

After 10 years, a mature specimen will measure 12 inches (30 cm) tall and 24 inches (60 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm), more outward than up. With clumpy irregular growth, an old 'Maxwellii' makes a strong statement in a large garden or arboretum.

This cultivar originated as a seedling selected around 1860 by T.C. Maxwell Brothers Nursery, Geneva. New York, USA.