Is White Spruce deer resistant?
Picea glauca
Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 2–6LightFull sun
Mature height480–720 in
BloomSpring and SummerMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range18 US states
About White Spruce
Tougher in cold and wind than Colorado spruce and less prone to disease, which makes it the better northern windbreak. The crushed needles have a distinctly unpleasant smell, hence the old name skunk spruce. Struggles in heat and humidity south of zone 6.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 7
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 118 to 177 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Evergreen
Similar to White Spruce
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevisZones 4–8Seldom damaged
- American PlumPrunus americanaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- Austrian PinePinus nigraZones 4–7Seldom damaged
- Chinese Fringe TreeChionanthus retususZones 5–9Seldom damaged
- Chinese Paper BirchBetula albosinensisZones 5–7Seldom damaged
- ChokecherryPrunus virginianaZones 2–6Seldom damaged
Where White Spruce grows
Hardy across most of these 41 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginia
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesotanative
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Colorado
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakotanative
- Montananative
- Wyomingnative
- Idahonative
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaskanative
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 18 US states in total.
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Every list White Spruce belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about White Spruce
- Is White Spruce deer resistant?
- White Spruce (Picea glauca) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does White Spruce grow in?
- White Spruce is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 6. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does White Spruce grow in shade?
- No. White Spruce wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does White Spruce get?
- Mature height is roughly 480–720 in. Growth rate is moderate.