Picea abies 'Phylicoides' is a slow growing, irregular upright selection of Norway spruce with open branching and very short, stiff needles that are widely arranged along the stem. Needles are fairly light green in their first season, later darkening to more of a Blue-green in color. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 6 feet (2 m) tall and 4 feet (1.3 m) wide, an annual growth rate of 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm). It is truly and odd, unusual and desirable conifer for the large garden or landscape.
'Phylicoides' is an old cultivar in the nursery trade, known to be part of large gardens and arboretums since the early 1800s. French botanist, Élie-Abel Carrière first formally described it in botanical literature in 1855. "Phylicoides" translates into "resembling Phylica" in the Latin language (a genus of South African herbaceous plants).
