Living Xmas tree - Picea glauca 'Super Green'

Native range and background

White spruce is native across boreal North America, from Alaska through Canada and into the northern United States. It occupies uplands, riverbanks, forest margins, mountain sites and the edges of bogs and peat wetlands. Long cold winters, short cool growing seasons and a true winter dormancy are fundamental parts of its natural cycle.

‘Super Green’ is a compact, upright and columnar selection that can reach around 2.5 m. Plants sold as tabletop Christmas trees are young specimens; with time they develop into outdoor conifers.

Temporary indoor care for a living Christmas tree

• Living outdoor tree: Living Christmas tree ‘Super Green’ is a cool-temperate outdoor conifer. A heated interior is suitable only for a short seasonal display, not permanent cultivation.
• Indoor display: Keep the display as cool and bright as possible and limit it to 7–10 days. Acclimatise the tree in stages when moving it back outdoors rather than exposing warm foliage immediately to severe cold.
• Light: Provide full sun outdoors and the brightest available conditions during any brief indoor stay.
• Water: Check the small root ball frequently and never let it become bone dry. Empty any decorative cover after watering so the pot is not standing in trapped drainage water.
• Root zone: Use an acidic-to-neutral, moisture-retentive but drained conifer mix. Insulate the container during severe frost because potted roots experience greater temperature swings than planted roots.
• Seasonal temperature: Cold winter dormancy is necessary for long-term health. Keeping it warm through winter uses stored energy faster than weak winter light can replace it.
• Feeding and pruning: Feed modestly in spring. Preserve the central leader and avoid cutting into old bare wood, which may not reshoot.

Living Christmas tree problems and solutions

• Needles browning indoors: Warm dry air, a dry root ball, weak light and trapped drainage water can all contribute. Check the roots and display conditions together, then return the tree gradually to cool outdoor dormancy.
• Inner needle drop: Limited shedding of older shaded needles is normal. Browning that reaches current shoots, the upright central shoot or the outside of the crown indicates broader stress.
• Fine stippling and webbing: Spider mites thrive during warm indoor display. Isolate the tree, confirm mites on the needles and choose a control labelled for spider mites; watering the roots alone will not remove them.
• Outdoor insects: Aphids, adelgids and sawflies produce different signs, including colonies, waxy deposits or chewed needles. Identify the pest before selecting a treatment.
• Needle spots or shoot dieback: Fungal problems affect older needles, new shoots and branch tips in different patterns. Note where the damage begins, remove fallen affected material and avoid repeatedly wetting the crown. If dieback keeps advancing, seek local conifer advice.
• Resin or damaged bark: Small resin deposits can be normal after minor injury. Resin with sunken bark, spreading dieback or a failing central shoot is more concerning and should be assessed by a local conifer specialist.

Keep Living Xmas tree - Picea glauca ‘Super Green’ away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Which name is used now: Picea glauca or Picea laxa?

Picea is a classical Latin name connected with pitch or resin. The epithet glauca is Latin for bluish-grey or glaucous, referring to the colour of the needles.

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

Conrad Moench first described it as Pinus glauca in 1785 in Verzeichnis Ausländischer Bäume, page 73. Andreas Voss later placed it in Picea as Picea glauca in 1907 in Mitteilungen der Deutschen Dendrologischen Gesellschaft, volume 16, page 93.

Kew’s World Checklist treats Picea glauca as a synonym of Picea laxa. Charles Sprague Sargent placed the species in Picea as Picea laxa in 1890 in Garden and Forest, volume 2, page 496.