Native Plants
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Picea breweriana
Picea breweriana S. Watson
Brewer Spruce, Weeping Spruce
Pinaceae (Pine Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: PIBR
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Large tree crowned with long, slender, horizontal branches ending in ropelike, drooping branches; trunk enlarged and buttressed at the base and tapering above. The most striking characteristic of this spruce is its drooping, almost perpendicular, secondary branches from the slender crown to the base of the trunk. Average height for trees in the wild is 50-75 ft, but can be much taller.
The weeping habit serves to reduce breakage of branches by heavy snowfall. Rare even as a cultivated ornamental, this local species is found in five National Forests and a special preserve, the Brewer Spruce Natural Area. It is named for its discoverer, William Henry Brewer (1828-1910), a professor of agriculture at Yale University and co-author of "Botany of California."
From the Image Gallery
No images of this plant
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Fruit Type: Cone
Size Notes: Up to about 130 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: RedBloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: CA , ORNative Distribution: Endemic to the Klamath-Siskiyou Mts. of s.w. OR & adjacent CA
Native Habitat: Moist, north-facing slopes & canyons; 4000-8000 ft.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: None
Soil Description: Moist soils.
Conditions Comments: A very slow-growing tree, useful in small gardens. Not as easy as other spruces.
Propagation
Description: Cultivation from seed only is important as this is a rare species.Seed Treatment: 1-3 months stratification improves germination.
Commercially Avail: yes
Find Seed or Plants
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 37 - Calscape (2019) California Native Plant Society
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Picea breweriana in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Picea breweriana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Picea breweriana
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-06-07Research By: TWC Staff