Needles
Four-sided; 1–2.5 cm long.
Species · col:4HPZF
Picea abies
(L.) H.Karst.
Accepted
In brief
Meet the organism
Norway spruce is a large evergreen tree from Europe, with a straight trunk and dark green needles.
Read full descriptionCones
Long, cylindrical and hanging.
Crown
Conical, with drooping lower branches.
A place in the living world
- Class
- Pinopsida Burnett
- Subclass
- Pinidae Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm.
- Order
- Pinales Gorozh.
- Family
- Pinaceae Spreng. ex Rudolphi
- Genus
- Picea A.Dietr.
- Species
- Picea abies
Explore further
Continue to structures, molecules and scientific evidence.
Genes, genomes and proteins →Observations on the map →Tools and connections →Picea abies
In brief
Norway spruce, Picea abies, is an evergreen conifer in the pine family, Pinaceae. [1] [2]
Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
- Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. — Plants of the World Online
- Picea abies, Norway spruce — Fire Effects Information System
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S01
- Accepted name and authorship; native and introduced distribution; accepted infraspecifics; classification; source and licence fields. Entire relevant record text read. WCVP/IPNI 2026 attribution, not a downloaded versioned backbone.
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
Photographs and illustrations
Save, investigate and check this version
Editorial draft · human review pending
Ask about this materialOn this page
Overview
Its native range is European, but planting has taken it well beyond that range, including into North America.
[1]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S01
- Accepted name and authorship; native and introduced distribution; accepted infraspecifics; classification; source and licence fields. Entire relevant record text read. WCVP/IPNI 2026 attribution, not a downloaded versioned backbone.
It is a major forest tree in northern Europe and in European mountain regions, rather than a species confined to Norway.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
Recognizing the tree
A straight trunk, a conical to columnar crown and drooping secondary branchlets give mature Norway spruce its characteristic outline.
[2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
The rigid needles are four-angled in cross-section and about 1–2.5 cm long.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
Young seed cones stand upright before pollination, then become pendant; by autumn they turn from green to brown.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
The long, cylindrical cones open as they dry and release winged seeds.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
From pollen to seedlings
Norway spruce bears separate pollen-producing and seed-bearing structures on the same tree, a condition called monoecy.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
Wind carries conifer pollen between trees, while the winged seeds provide a later, separate opportunity for dispersal.
[4] [2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
- The Norway spruce genome sequence and conifer genome evolution
- Picea abies, Norway spruce — Fire Effects Information System
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S04
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
Seeds ripen in the year of pollination and may be released from late autumn into winter or retained until spring.
[2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
Seed production varies with age and growing conditions; large crops are not necessarily annual.
[2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
Young seedlings are vulnerable to drought and overheating, so germination alone does not guarantee establishment.
[2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
In moist settings the tree can also reproduce by layering, when a low branch roots while still connected to its parent.
[2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
A forest tree with partners below ground
Norway spruce tolerates shade and grows well in cool, moist conditions, although persistent waterlogging can inhibit growth.
[2]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S02
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
Its root system is often shallow, contributing to vulnerability to drought and windthrow.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
The roots associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi, whose enzymes help mobilize nutrients from soil organic matter.
[5]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S06
- Summary; Introduction; Methods plant material and fungal strains; Results prose on growth response around Figure 2. Tables and figure images not analysed; claims confined to qualitative experimental outcomes.
Experiments with Norway spruce seedlings found that a more diverse fungal community could broaden the range of nutrient-mobilizing enzymes, while growth responses depended on the seedlings and fungal partners involved.
[5]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S06
- Summary; Introduction; Methods plant material and fungal strains; Results prose on growth response around Figure 2. Tables and figure images not analysed; claims confined to qualitative experimental outcomes.
Drought, resin and bark beetles
Resin is part of the tree’s defence: its chemical and physical properties can inhibit or trap attacking bark beetles.
[6]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S05
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
The Eurasian spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, also carries fungal associates that interact with the tree’s living bark and wood.
[6]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S05
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
In a two-year rainfall-exclusion experiment, drought-stressed mature spruces experienced more beetle attacks and longer fungal lesions than controls.
[6]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S05
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
Their terpene defences did not simply disappear, showing that susceptibility cannot be reduced to a single “drought switches off resin” explanation.
[6]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S05
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
Why Norway spruce matters
Norway spruce supplies timber and pulpwood, and selected wood is used in soundboards and other musical-instrument components.
[3]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S03
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
It has also become an important subject for understanding large conifer genomes.
[4]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S04
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
A 2013 genome study linked much of its enormous DNA content to the accumulation of repetitive mobile-element sequences, rather than a proportionately enormous number of protein-coding genes.
[4]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S04
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
Keep geographic and taxonomic scales separate
Kew accepts Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. and distinguishes its European native distribution from introductions into other regions.
[1]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S01
- Accepted name and authorship; native and introduced distribution; accepted infraspecifics; classification; source and licence fields. Entire relevant record text read. WCVP/IPNI 2026 attribution, not a downloaded versioned backbone.
Its classification uses Streptophyta and Equisetopsida above Pinidae and Pinales, illustrating why an explicit source hierarchy matters when comparing taxonomic backbones.
[1]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S01
- Accepted name and authorship; native and introduced distribution; accepted infraspecifics; classification; source and licence fields. Entire relevant record text read. WCVP/IPNI 2026 attribution, not a downloaded versioned backbone.
What the 2013 genome actually represented
Nystedt and colleagues sequenced material from the Norway spruce clone Z4006 and estimated a nuclear genome size of 19.6 Gb.
[4]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S04
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
Their P.abies 1.0 draft contained 4.3 Gb in scaffolds longer than 10 kb; that figure is a length-qualified assembly statistic, not a complete 19.6-Gb chromosome assembly.
[4]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S04
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
They also described a separate chloroplast genome and a draft mitochondrial genome, which should not be merged with nuclear assembly totals.
[4]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S04
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
Mechanisms need their experimental context
The drought experiment combined rainfall exclusion, beetle bioassays and fungal inoculation, rather than measuring the outcome of an uncontrolled regional mass outbreak.
[6]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S05
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
Its results separate resin flow, chemical concentrations and fungal damage; these are related but non-identical measures of defence.
[6]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S05
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
Likewise, seedling mycorrhizal experiments show context-dependent responses, not a guarantee that adding any fungal inoculant improves every spruce.
[5]Evidence for this statement
Editorial synthesis
Where to check this statement
- evidence:S06
- Summary; Introduction; Methods plant material and fungal strains; Results prose on growth response around Figure 2. Tables and figure images not analysed; claims confined to qualitative experimental outcomes.
Identity
Scientific name
Picea abies
[7]Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- evidence:ID03
- taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HPZF]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 669106
Taxonomic rank
species
[7]Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- evidence:ID03
- taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HPZF]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 669106
Provider status
accepted
[7]Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- evidence:ID03
- taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HPZF]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 669106
col identifier
4HPZF
[7]Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- evidence:ID03
- taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HPZF]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 669106
Classification
Source lineage
- Eukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978 domain
- Plantae kingdom
- Pteridobiotina Britton & Brown subkingdom
- Tracheophyta phylum
- Pinopsida Burnett class
- Pinidae Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm. subclass
- Pinales Gorozh. order
- Pinaceae Spreng. ex Rudolphi family
- Picea A.Dietr. genus
- Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. species
Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- evidence:BL03
- sections[id=classification].claims[label=Source lineage] and [label=Source classification release]; full list and release object read
This is the source’s classification, not an inferred species phylogeny.
Source classification release
Inspect structured data
- classification semantics
- provider_source_classification_only
- phylogeny
- False
- release
- COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
- Source
- Catalogue of Life / ChecklistBank
- source sha256
- 891457d62af389842924ef1de8bd6fbbdf9f6b03428ef5dd487bed4d04c0ace0
- metadata reports source sha256 verified
- True
- source sha256 independently recomputed in this delivery
- False
- verification scope
- Saved scientific JSON release metadata; installed exact row additionally read
Evidence for this statement
Source annotation
Where to check this statement
- evidence:BL03
- sections[id=classification].claims[label=Source lineage] and [label=Source classification release]; full list and release object read
This is the source’s classification, not an inferred species phylogeny.
From this article to your own question
Choose a statement in this article and open its evidence. Record whether it concerns the whole species, a particular specimen or specific study conditions. Then follow a suitable guide to preserve identifiers and state which evidence your question still needs.
Evidence for this statement
EcoGenesis
Continue exploring
Sources and versions
Editorial draft · human review pending
- Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. — Plants of the World Online
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Reading scope
- visible_record_fields_read
- Location in the original source
- Accepted name and authorship; native and introduced distribution; accepted infraspecifics; classification; source and licence fields. Entire relevant record text read. WCVP/IPNI 2026 attribution, not a downloaded versioned backbone.
- Picea abies, Norway spruce — Fire Effects Information System
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- 1994-02
- Reading scope
- selected_page_sections_read
- Location in the original source
- Citation; Taxonomy; General Distribution; Site Characteristics; Botanical Description; Seasonal Development; Regeneration Processes; beginning of Successional Status. Written February 1994; historical taxonomy not treated as current.
- Picea abies in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats — European Atlas of Forest Tree Species
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- 2016
- Reading scope
- three_page_pdf_read_and_visually_checked
- Location in the original source
- All three PDF pages, numbered 114–116: text, map legends, captions and references visually inspected in web screenshots; qualitative map scope checked, no underlying occurrence data read. Habitat and Ecology; Importance and Usage; Threats and Diseases.
- The Norway spruce genome sequence and conifer genome evolution
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- 2013-05-22
- Reading scope
- selected_full_text_sections
- Location in the original source
- Abstract; Main; Sequencing and assembly; Presence of long introns and gene-like fragments; selected figure-caption text. P.abies 1.0 historical study and sample Z4006 identified; not a current assembly endpoint verification.
- Profiling functions of ectomycorrhizal diversity and root structuring in seedlings of Norway spruce (Picea abies) with fast- and slow-growing phenotypes
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- 2013-10-14
- Reading scope
- selected_full_text_sections
- Location in the original source
- Summary; Introduction; Methods plant material and fungal strains; Results prose on growth response around Figure 2. Tables and figure images not analysed; claims confined to qualitative experimental outcomes.
- Drought increases Norway spruce susceptibility to the Eurasian spruce bark beetle and its associated fungi
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- 2024
- Reading scope
- selected_full_text_sections
- Location in the original source
- Summary; Introduction through study rationale; Results Q5–Q6 on induced terpenes, phenolics and carbohydrates. Selected table text was displayed but numerical tables were not used or audited.
- Assigned exact CoL identity — Picea abies
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
- Reading scope
- supplied_installed_row_read
- Location in the original source
- taxon_rows[taxon_id=4HPZF]: scientific_name, taxon_rank, taxonomic_status, nomenclatural_code, classification_scope; source_row 669106
- Saved CoL classification — Picea abies
2026-09-06 · Reuse permission unverified
Provenance and original
- Source version
- COL26.7 Base, 2026-07-14
- Reading scope
- supplied_scientific_json_read
- Location in the original source
- sections[id=classification].claims[label=Source lineage] and [label=Source classification release]; full list and release object read
Inspect structured data
- Content version
- 474922d5790305ca33cc47eb000ee8afc9430efbdb07f20fc5e5e90da2d9a800
- Source version
- editorial-source-set.v1@0faf120fb821b3c12d9db369b3cb3fc61b95c280155d36325d099a6b06dff992
- Updated
- 2026-10-01
Where this organism has been observed
Explore observations on the map →Observations and connections with other organisms
Explore published sightings and reported interactions, such as feeding or pollination. Each record links to its source.
Research about this organism
01 · A place in the living world
Classification
- DomainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- KingdomPlantae
- SubkingdomPteridobiotina Britton & Brown
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassPinopsida Burnett
- SubclassPinidae Cronquist, Takht. & W.Zimm.
- OrderPinales Gorozh.
- FamilyPinaceae Spreng. ex Rudolphi
- GenusPicea A.Dietr.
- SpeciesPicea abies
02 · From organism to molecules
Genes, genomes and proteins
03 · Continue exploring
Tools and connections
04 · EcoGenesis
What the available evidence supports
Classification and name provenance; a source-attributed description.
A catalogue name does not establish a genome, protein or measurement. Missing records do not mean a trait or gene is absent from the organism.
Coverage updates as this page checks its sources.
Sources and licences
| Source | ID | Licence | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| col | 4HPZF | — | Source record ↗ |
| Wikipedia | 471880 | CC-BY-SA-4.0 | Description version ↗ |