Norway Spruce
Picea abies
—
Not native
Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 76%
- Height
- 40–60 feet
- Spread
- 25–30 feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Usually moist
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Evergreen
- Bloom
- Mid spring
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
Recorded in 6 Virginia counties.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
120CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · Picea
- Abagrotis alternataGreater Red Dart, Mottled Grey Cutworm
- Acleris varianaEastern Blackheaded Budworm
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Archips dissitanaBoldly-Marked Archips Moth, Spruce Needle Moth
- Argyrotaenia occultanaFall Spruce Needle Moth
- Argyrotaenia pinatubanaPine Tube Moth
- Argyrotaenia tabulanaLodgepole Needletier
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
Show all 120
- Callophrys niphonPine Elfin
- Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
- Caripeta angustiorataBrown Pine Looper Moth
- Caripeta divisataGray Spruce Looper Moth
- Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
- Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
- Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
- Choristoneura fumiferanaSpruce Budworm Moth
- Choristoneura pinusJack Pine Budworm
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Cladara limitariaMottled Gray Carpet, Yellow-Lined Conifer Looper, Yellow-Lined Forest Looper, Black-Angled Wave
- Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
- Dasychira mantoRusty Tussock Moth, Manto Tussock Moth
- Dasychira plagiataNorthern Conifer Tussock Moth
- Dasychira vagansVariable Tussock Moth
- Dioryctria abietivorellaEvergreen Coneworm Moth, Fir Coneworm
- Dioryctria disclusaWebbing Coneworm
- Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Elaphria versicolorVariegated Midget
- Epinotia radicanaRed-Striped Needleworm Moth
- Epirrita autumnataThe Autumnal Moth, November Moth
- Eucopina gloriolaPine Shoot Borer, White-Pine Shoot Borer, Eastern Pine Shoot Borer
- Eucopina tocullionanaWhite Pine Cone Borer
- Eufidonia notatariaPowder Moth
- Eupithecia fletcherataFletcher's Eupithecia
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Eupithecia misturataInsignificant Pug
- Eupithecia palpataSmall Pine Looper, Palpata Pug
- Eupsilia sidusSidus Sallow
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Exoteleia pinifoliellaPine Needle Miner
- Feralia comstockiComstock's Sallow
- Feralia jocosaJocose Sallow, The Joker
- Feralia majorMajor Sallow, Pine Sallow
- Gerdana caritellaGerdana Moth
- Glena cribratariaDotted Gray
- Hesperumia sulphurariaSulphur Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hydriomena divisariaBlack-Dashed Hydriomena, Transverse-Banded Looper
- Hydriomena renunciataRenounced Hydriomena
- Hypagyrtis piniataPine Measuringworm Moth, Pine Variant
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hypoprepia fucosaPainted Lichen Moth
- Hypsopygia intermedialisRed-Shawled Moth
- Idia aemulaCommon Idia
- Idia americalisAmerican Idia
- Iridopsis vellivolataLarge Purplish Gray
- Korscheltellus gracilisConifer Swift Moth, Graceful Ghost Moth
- Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
- Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
- Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
- Lithophane tepidaWarm Gray Pinion, White-Eyes Pinion
- Macaria bisignataRed-Headed Inchworm
- Macaria minorataMinor Angle
- Macaria signariaPale-Marked Angle, Spruce-Fir Looper, Dusky Peacock
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nepytia canosariaFalse Hemlock Looper Moth, Evergreen Span Worm
- Nepytia semiclusariaPine Conelet Looper
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Packardia geminataJeweled Tail Slug Moth
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Panthea acronyctoidesBlack Zigzag, Tufted Spruce Caterpillar
- Panthea furcillaEastern Panthea, Tufted Pine Panthea
- Paralobesia palliolanaSpruce Mlcromoth
- Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
- Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
- Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
- Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
- Scoparia penumbralisDark-Brown Scoparia
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Sparganothis tristriataThree-Streaked Sparganothis
- Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
- Sphinx gordiusApple Sphinx
- Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
- Synanthedon piniPitch Mass Borer
- Syndemis afflictanaFall Dead-Leaf Roller, Gray Leafroller, Black-and-Grey Banded Leafroller
- Syngrapha aliasSpruce Looper, Hooked Silver Y
- Syngrapha rectangulaSalt-and-Pepper Looper Moth
- Taniva albolineanaSpruce Needleminer Moth
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tolype laricisLarch Tolype, Larch Lappet Moth
- Xestia badicollisWhite Pine Cutworm, Northern Variable Dart, White Pine Dart, Northern Pine Dart
- Xestia dilucidaDull Reddish Dart, Reddish Heath Dart
- Xestia elimataSouthern Variable Dart, Southern Pine Dart
- Xestia praeviaEarly Conifer Dart, Praevia Dart
- Xylotype capaxBroad Sallow, Barrens Xylotype
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
- Zanclognatha cruralisEarly Zanclognatha, Early Fan-Foot
- Zanclognatha protumnusalisConifer Zanclognatha, Complex Fan-Foot
- Zeiraphera improbanaLarch Budmoth, Larch Needleworm
- Acleris hudsoniana
- Apotomops wellingtoniana
- Cydia rana
- Dahlica walshella
- Epinotia septemberana
- Nemapogon variatella
- Xenotemna pallorana
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Picea
- Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
- Loxia curvirostraRed Crossbill
- Loxia leucopteraWhite-winged Crossbill
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
- Spizelloides arboreaAmerican Tree Sparrow
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Pinaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 2a–7b
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- Brown/copper, yellow, green or purple
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Growth habit
- Single stem
- Foliage color
- Dark green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Fall
What its natural habitat tells you
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Mid spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Flower color · “Brown/copper, yellow, green or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
- Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 2a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “40–60 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
- Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “25–30 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Virginia rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: Northern Tier (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications