Picea abies 'Minutifolia' is a slow-growing, conical selection of Norway spruce with short, thin branches, densely crowded branchlets and extremely tiny, dark-green needles, that measure only 0.08 to 0.12 inch (2 - 3 mm) long. The needles are radially arranged rather densely about the stem and grow outward at a 30-degree angle. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 30 to 40 inches (76 - 100 cm) tall, an annual growth rate of 3 to 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
This cultivar originated as a seedling selected in the early 1920s by F.J. Grootendorst & Sons Nursery, Boskoop, The Netherlands. In the Latin language, "minutifolia" translates into "minute leaves."
