Living Xmas Tree - Picea abies ‘Wills Zwerg’

Origin and selection history of Living Xmas Tree - Picea abies ‘Wills Zwerg’

‘Wills Zwerg’ was selected from an unusually dense shoot found on a Norway spruce by Hans Will in Germany in the 1970s. The parent species, Picea abies, is native across much of Europe and grows naturally in cool temperate forests.

Outdoor care for Picea abies ‘Wills Zwerg’

• Position: Grow the tree outdoors for the long term. During a Christmas display, keep it in a cool, bright room and return it outdoors after a short stay.
• Light: Give full sun outdoors.
• Temperature range: For container growth, 5–18 °C is the preferred range. Outdoors, let the tree follow its normal seasonal temperature cycle and cold dormancy; protect the container from prolonged exposure below about −20 °C.
• Humidity target: During a short indoor display, aim for 50–60% humidity to limit needle drying; outdoors, normal ambient humidity is suitable.
• Water: Keep the root ball evenly moist. Water thoroughly and let the pot drain each time.
• Potting mix: Use a well-drained loam-based mix that is slightly acidic to neutral.
• Feeding: Feed lightly while new shoots are growing.
• Shape: Let the compact conical shape develop naturally and remove damaged growth when needed.
• Repotting: Move up one pot size when roots become crowded. Refresh compacted mix in the existing pot if the roots still have room.
• Propagation: Hardwood cuttings are used to keep the cultivar’s characteristics.

Keeping Picea abies ‘Wills Zwerg’ healthy

• Needles drying during an indoor display: Warm air or a drying root ball may be stressing the tree. Move it to a cooler, bright position and water before the root ball dries out further.
• Needles paling while the pot stays wet: Poor drainage may be affecting the roots. Empty standing water and improve drainage around the root ball.
• Fine pale mottling or webbing: Check for red spider mite. Confirm the pest before treatment and use a suitable conifer-safe product at the repeat interval stated on the label.
• Sticky shoots, woolly deposits or clusters of small insects: Adelgids or conifer aphids may be present. Identify the pest first and use a conifer-safe treatment according to its label.
• Sudden decline or dieback: Honey fungus is one possible cause in spruce. Confirm the diagnosis before removing affected roots or woody material.

Living Xmas Tree - Picea abies ‘Will’s Zwerg’ can harm pets and has rigid needles

• Keep this plant away from cats and dogs that may chew it.
• Rigid needles can injure the mouth, eyes or paws and may irritate the digestive tract if swallowed.
• Contact a veterinarian after ingestion or if a pet develops mouth irritation, vomiting, stomach pain or weakness.

How the name Picea abies came about

Picea is a classical Latin name connected with pitch or resin. Abies is Latin for “fir”, reflecting historical naming even though this plant is a spruce.

Albert Gottfried Dietrich established the genus Picea in 1824 in Flora Berolinensis, volume 2, page 794.

Carl Linnaeus first described it as Pinus abies in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1002. Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten later placed it in Picea as Picea abies in 1881 in Deutsche Flora, page 325.