Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Picea breweriana (Brewer Spruce or Weeping Spruce) is a species of spruce native to western North America, where it is one of the rarest in the continent, endemic to the Klamath Mountains of southwest Oregon and northwest California. It grows at moderately high altitudes, from 1000-2700 meter. It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 20-40 meter tall, exceptionally 54 meter, and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 meter. The bark is thin and scaly, and purple-gray in color. The crown is very distinct, distinguished by level branches with vertically pendulous branchlets, each branch forming a 'curtain' of foliage. The pendulous foliage only develops when the tree grows to about 1.5-2 meter tall; young trees smaller than this (up to about 10-20 years old) are open-crowned with sparse, level branchlets. The shoots are orange-brown, with dense short fine hair about 0.2 millimeter long and very rough with pulvini 1-2 millimeter long.

Plant type

Tree

Size

25 - 177 ft Tall

Form

Upright

Growth rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Calscape icon
Color

Red

Flowering season

Summer

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Soil description

Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils.

Propagation

For propagating by seed: 1-3 mos. stratification (USDA Forest Service 1974).

Sunset Zones

2, 3*, 4*, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17

Site type

Moist slopes

Plant communities

Red Fir Forest

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 24 likely

Confirmed Likely

Orange Tortrix Moth

Argyrotaenia franciscana

Douglas-Fir Cone Moth

Barbara colfaxiana

White Triangle Tortrix

Clepsis persicana

Cosmia praeacuta