The Oriental spruce
The Oriental or Caucasian spruce grows in the Caucasus and north-east Turkey and has the shortest needles of all spruces. Features, and the Nordmann mix-up.
The Wood Guide · The spruce tree
Conifers · tree portraitThe Oriental spruce
From the mountain forests of the Caucasus and north-east Turkey. A dark, elegant spruce with the shortest needles in its genus.
- Picea orientalis
- Shortest spruce needles
- Caucasus and Turkey
From our shopCURVE 6-Drawer Dresser – Ribbed Design – 119 cm2.417,00 kr
ViewView cabinets & sideboards
The Oriental spruce in brief
A tall, dense spruce with glossy, very short needles, also known as Caucasian spruce.
In the humid mountain forests along the Black Sea, from north-east Turkey to Georgia, it grows into a stately tree of 30 to 40 metres and sometimes more. At 6 to 10 millimetres, its needles are the shortest of all spruces, glossy dark green and blunt.
Those short needles, lying close against the twig, give the tree a fine, almost velvety texture. That is why it is planted in Europe as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.
Confusingly, the Nordmann fir, our popular Christmas tree, is also called the 'Caucasian fir' and comes from the same region. But that is a fir (Abies), with flat needles and upright cones.
- Botanical
- Picea orientalis
- Origin
- Caucasus and north-east Turkey
- Height
- usually 30–40 m
- Needles
- 6–10 mm, glossy, blunt
- Cones
- hanging, 6–10 cm
- Wood
- light and pale, used locally
To be fair: in western Europe it plays no significant role as a timber. In its native range the wood is used locally, much like spruce; in Europe it is grown mainly as an ornamental.
In pictures · How to recognise an Oriental spruce
Schematic drawing.
How to recognise an Oriental spruce
Very short needles
6 to 10 mm, glossy dark green and blunt at the tip — the shortest of all spruces.
Dense, fine crown
The short needles make the tree look fine-textured and dark.
Hanging cones
Slender cones of 6 to 10 cm, often purplish to reddish when young.
Mountain forest
In the wild, a tree of cool, moist mountain slopes.
The wood of the Oriental spruce
Like spruce timber
Light, pale and even, with properties very similar to those of the Norway spruce.
Local construction timber
Used in Turkey and the Caucasus for building and joinery.
Not very durable
Naturally has little resistance to weather and ground contact.
An ornamental in our gardens
Planted in Europe for its dark, refined look.
A spruce leaves a rough twig with pegs once you pluck its needles, and has hanging cones. A fir has a smooth twig with round scars, and cones that stand upright and fall apart.
Frequently asked questions about the Oriental spruce
Is the Oriental spruce a Christmas tree?
Not the usual one. The popular 'Nordmann' is a different tree: the Nordmann or Caucasian fir (Abies nordmanniana).
Why are its needles so short?
It is a feature of the species: at 6 to 10 mm, it has the shortest needles of all spruces.
Where does it grow in the wild?
In the mountain forests of the Caucasus and north-east Turkey.
Is its wood used?
Locally, yes, as a construction timber comparable to spruce; in Europe it is grown mainly as an ornamental.
The Oriental spruce in perspective
A dark, refined spruce — and the answer to a question that comes up again every December.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Picea orientalis — Jurgen from Netherlands, CC BY 2.0