Picea rubens 'Pin Cushion' is a globose, miniature selection of Red Spruce. Needles are a pleasing, shiny green on very short stems which grow at a rate of only 1/2 to 1 inch annually, producing a somewhat loose ball, 8 inches around after 10 years in the garden.
Bill Journeay discovered the original plant growing in the woods as a natural seedling and took it home to observe. After many years of care in a garden setting, he concluded that it was destined to maintain its form and a very slow growth rate. At that point, Journeay named the plant and released it to a local nursery for production. The original plant has been transplanted to Kingsbrae Gardens in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada and is doing well.
