Picea glehnii 'Chitosemaru' is a dwarf form of Sakhalin spruce and is a good choice for someone desiring the unique characteristics (i.e. rich, reddish brown bark, short silvery needles and resinous buds) of the species without the eventual size issues. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure around 4.5 feet (1.5 m) tall and 3 feet (1 m) wide, an annual growth rate of 4 to 6 inches (10 - 15 cm).
This cultivar was first listed in Japan in 1976, confirmed in a letter from Dr. Olaf Kruse to Humpfrey Welch in 1986. 'Chitosemaru' is often mistakenly listed under Picea jezoensis, but careful study of the bark, needles and buds easily resolve this confusion.
