This was received via email: We have what has been identified as a dwarfed Picea orientalis. We are unable to find information on this tree. Any help? We were told this was a Picea orientalis nana. I have attached a picture of the trees taken last winter.These are about 18 years old and are very slow growers. They are about 6-7 feet tall now. Perhaps someone on the public forum knows what we have!
How certain are you of the age of these? It looks from the photo that your annual shoot growth from the tip is near 12-18" at the least which wouldn't add up for 18 years if they are only 6-7 feet tall ? Picea orientalis has one dwarf variety listed in Dirr's book (Manual of woody landscape plants) "Picea orientalis 'nana' growth to 3 feet high. There is one called 'Gowdy' which is listed as more columnar than the species, slow growth to 8-10 feet. If you could get a good closeup of the needles and their arrangement it may help to identify them.
I'd like to know how the identification of these trees was made and where they're growing. They look an awful lot like plain old Picea abies to me.
