March’s Practically Perfect Plant –
Winter is when the true value of evergreens is most apparent and appreciated! That’s why I chose to write about one of my all-time favorite evergreens for March’s Practically Perfect Plant – the Dwarf Serbian Spruce (Picea Omorika “Nana’). I love this shrub!! Hardy in Zones 4-7, it supposedly needs part to full sun. However, mine get very little direct sun, even in the summer, and they still look healthy, dense and gorgeous! It is so hard to find evergreens that live happily in Colorado that can handle little direct sun. Dwarf Serbian Spruces do! That is one reason why I love them so much. But on top of being an evergreen that tolerates part shade, they are also stunning!!
Serbian Spruce needles are a bluish green with a white band on the undersides. Bluish green foliage can make a dry area feel cool and lush and I think these shrubs do just that! I have perennial geraniums (cranesbill) planted in front of mine, and these two plant types together make the area feel very cool and woodsy even though I don’t water them that much. Mine are planted on the north side of my house. This area never gets very hot because it doesn’t get too much direct sun, so I am sure that helps keep the water requirements down. If you plant these in a sunny spot, they will require more water, especially during our summer heat waves.
I live in an area that has a pretty healthy sized deer population. Yet, I have never had deer nibble on my Serbian Spruce, even in winter when the deer can get pretty desperate if the ground is covered in snow. Deer have snacked on my Norway spruces, junipers and even Mugo pines, but so far they have never eaten my Serbian Spruce! (I hope I haven’t jinxed myself by writing this!)
Picea Omorika ‘Nana’ grow to be 4 to 8 feet wide and high. When these shrubs are young, they have a neat, rounded form. As they age, they become more cone shaped. When I planted mine, I didn’t realize that they become cone shaped as they mature (they were an impulse buy and I hadn’t researched them.) Around 6 years after planting them (they started out a little over a foot in diameter) they began to grow cone shaped. I really don’t want mine cone shaped, so I am trying to prune them to keep them more rounded. I don’t know how well that is going to work, so I would recommend planting these knowing and being ok with their future, mature cone shape.
If you want a slightly smaller version, try the dwarf Serbian Spruce ‘Pomiko’ which grows to 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. You can’t go wrong with either of these dwarf spruces. They are beautiful, low maintenance shrubs that I think are a perfect choice for Colorado, especially for a part shade, cool spot on the north side of a building!
Learn about more Practically Perfect Plants.
