Picea abies 'Parsonsii' / Parsons' Norway spruce

Picea abies 'Parsonsii' is a loose, bushy selection of Norway spruce with species-typical, medium-green foliage. It is similar in structure to P. abies 'Gregoryana,' but has more open branching and longer needles that do not radiate about the stem. After 10 years, a mature specimen will measure 2.5 to 3 feet (75 to 90 cm) tall and wide, an annual growth rate of 2 to 3 inches (5 - 7.5 cm).

This cultivar originated as a seedling selected in the early 1920s by S.B. Parsons & Sons Nursery, Queens, New York. It is often seen listed in the trade under the incorrect name, Picea abies 'Gregoryana Parsonsii.'

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Picea abies 'Parsonsii'
Photo by Paula Rollet
Picea abies 'Parsonsii' at Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Clinton, Iowa in the Heartland Collection of Garden Conifers, October, 2005.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Picea abies 'Parsonsii' in a private garden in Kansas, October 2006.
Photo by David Stegmaier

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