Picea rubens 'Bill's Gem' is a miniature selection of Red Spruce. It has shiny green foliage, typical of the species with a very compact and dense conical upright form. This is a particularly slow-growing cultivar (about 1" per year). After 25 years of growth in the landscape, one can expect to find a emerald cone, 2 feet tall by less than a foot across at the base.
Bill Journeay discovered the original plant in the woodland as a natural seedling in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada. He transplanted the original from there and it is now established at Kingsbrae Gardens in St Andrews New Brunswick, Canada. A local nursery has begun propagating 'Bill's Gem' by rooted cuttings.
Picea rubens 'Bill's Gem' -- the original, 25-year-old plant at Kingbrae Gardens, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.
Photo by Bill Journeay
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