Picea breweriana - Brewer's Spruce

Picea breweriana, the Brewer's Spruce, also known as the Weeping Spruce of Oregon, is a beautiful conifer native to the western part of North America, which has become rare in its original habitat. It is a medium to large-sized tree with a regular pyramidal habit and dark bluish-green foliage. Its main branches are pendulous in mature specimens, and its superb branching forms long cascading tresses. Slow-growing in its juvenile stage, this spruce becomes over time a beautiful specimen for ornamental purposes in parks and large gardens. It is very well adapted to mountainous areas and snow. 

Brewer's Spruce grows naturally on dry, rocky slopes in the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California, between 1000 and 2500 metres (3281 and 8202 feet) altitude, snow-covered in winter. It can be found on a wide range of soils (acidic to alkaline), but always well-drained. This species, which is becoming increasingly rare, is listed on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature). It is a hardy evergreen conifer belonging to the pine family. In its natural environment, it grows slowly, with an elegant and regular conical habit, and its main branches are initially horizontal before gracefully drooping in older specimens. This tree can reach heights of 20 to 40 metres (66 to 131 feet) in the wild, but does not exceed 15 metres (49 feet) in height and 5-6 metres (16-20 feet) in width when cultivated. Its growth rate is around 20 to 30 centimetres (8 to 12 inches) per year. Its trunk is covered with bark that becomes greyish-purple and scaly over time. Its needles, radiating around the orangish-brown branches, measure 2 to 2.5 centimetres (1 inches) in length. They are shiny dark green on the upper side, while their flattened underside has 5 to 6 whitish bands. The foliage consists of a few tiered main branches, with long weeping branches that can reach 2 metres (7 feet) in length and hang down in thick fringes. This beautiful weeping foliage only appears when the spruce reaches a height of 1.5 to 2 metres (5 to 7 feet), which is an average age of 15 years. Mature specimens bear cylindrical cones measuring 8 to 10 centimetres (3 to 4 inches) in length and 2 to 3 centimetres (1 inches) in diameter.

Due to its elegant habit and presence, the Weeping Spruce of Oregon is ideal for landscaping large areas. It prefers mountainous climates, slightly humid atmospheres, and is sensitive to hot summers. This tree should be planted as a specimen. It pairs well with large stones, geometric lines, and masonry structures. The distinctive visual qualities of conifers naturally stand out in contemporary gardens or French-style parks. These perennial plants provide long-lasting structure to the garden, creating a sense of permanence. They can be combined with heathers or ground cover plants such as Caucasian Alchemilla or Bergenias, for example. Also consider planting small spring bulbs such as snowdrops or daffodils at its base.