Picea abies Will's Zwerg

The Picea abies 'Will's Zwerg' is a slow-growing dwarf variety that forms a perfect small, dense conical fir tree. Its modest dimensions allow it to be planted in a large rockery or in a container on a terrace. Its short, stiff needles are light green in their youth and then turn intense shiny green. This conifer is highly hardy and enjoys full sun and limestone-free, cool and well-drained soils.

The Picea abies, also known as the Norway Spruce or Red Spruce, is an evergreen conifer belonging to the pinaceae family, native to northern Europe, specifically Scandinavia. In its natural environment, it has a typically conical and pyramidal habit and can reach a height of 30m (98 ft 5 in) or more in Eastern Europe. This species is traditionally used as a Christmas tree in Europe. This spruce is not afraid of very low temperatures or snow, but it does not tolerate hot and dry climates very well.

The 'Will's Zwerg' variety, derived from this species, is a dwarf form with a regular conical habit. After several decades, it reaches a height of 2m (6 ft 7 in) with a diameter of 1m in a humid climate. Its growth is slow. It has short, stiff branches that are widely arched at the ends, spirally arranged on highly layered branches. Its young spring shoots are a very tender, bright green, then its foliage darkens and becomes intense and shiny green. Its small evergreen leaves are stiff needles, very sharp, arranged all around the branches in a tuft. The root system of spruces is shallow and trailing, making them difficult to transplant when mature and particularly sensitive to wind.

The dwarf fir 'Will's Zwerg', with its perfect conical habit, as well as its very compact size without maintenance, is a plant that will be highlighted on a short grass meadow or in a rockery. As it adapts well to growing in large pots, it can also adorn a terrace. This variety goes well with large stones, geometric lines, and masonry structures. It can also be associated with columnar or erect dwarf conifers. The real graphic qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures to the dance of blooms. These plants with reassuring permanence durably structure a massif, mark pathways, border terraces, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. They go well with ground cover plants such as aubrietas, cerastiums, perennial salvias, as well as flowering shrubs. The key is to play with volumes and colours.