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Black Hills Spruce

5.0 out of 5 (1 experiences)

Fast grower

Also known as

Picea glauca, Picea glauca, Picea glauca, White spruce, Picea canadensis, Canadian spruce, skunk spruce, cat spruce, Black Hills spruce, western white spruce, Alberta white spruce, Porsild spruce and Picea glauca

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Picea laxa

Genus

Picea

Family

Pinaceae

Order

Pinales

How to care for Black Hills Spruce

💦 Water

How often to water your Black Hills Spruce

Black Hills Spruce needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Picea glauca in your home

Black Hills Spruce love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Black Hills Spruce does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Black Hills Spruce in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Black Hills Spruce

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Black Hills Spruce: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Black Hills Spruce after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #PiceaGlauca

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Black Hills Spruce is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!

How to Grow Picea glauca →

Benefits of Growing Picea glauca →

Common Picea glauca Problems →

Outdoor Care Guide for Picea glauca →

💦 Water Needs

Black Hills Spruce prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Picea glauca Water Frequency →

Picea glauca Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Black Hills Spruce requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Picea glauca Light Requirements →

Picea glauca Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Black Hills Spruce is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

💨 Humidity

Black Hills Spruce enjoys lots of humidity. Provide humidity for your plant by watering regularly and thoroughly, since plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves. They may also benefit from being placed next to a humidifier.

Picea glauca Humidity Needs →

🪴 Soil

Black Hills Spruce is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Picea glauca →

Best Pots for Picea glauca →

When and How to Successfully Repot Picea glauca →

What Are Healthy Picea glauca Roots →

💩 Fertilizer

Black Hills Spruce grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Picea glauca →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Black Hills Spruce will branch off as it grows. To encourage branching, pinch off the newest growth at the tip and the stem will branch off into two.

Picea glauca Lifecycle →

Picea glauca Size Guide →

How and When to Prune Picea glauca →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Black Hills Spruce can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 2a-6b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Picea glauca Temperature Tolerance →

Picea glauca Hardiness Zones →

Landscaping Ideas with Picea glauca →

When to Plant Picea glauca →

How to Plant Picea glauca →

Where to Plant Picea glauca →

Winter Care for Picea glauca →

Best Companion Plants for Picea glauca →

Is Picea glauca a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

Black Hills Spruce can be propagated by the leaf method. To propagate:

Remove a leaf by gently twisting until it pops off.
To get the leaf to root, you can either:
- Place the leaf in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the leaf directly into well-draining soil

How to Propagate Picea glauca →

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Black Hills Spruce, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.