Norway spruce previously had an area of distribution that includes almost all of Europe. Gradually, with the intensification of human economic activity, spruce forests began to decline, and today this variety of spruce in central Europe has survived only in the Alps, the mountainous regions of the Czech Republic and in southern Poland.
In Northern Europe, the spruce range includes most of Sweden, almost all of Finland and a large part of Norway. On the expanses of the former USSR, it is found in the Baltic states, in most of Belarus, and in Russia it occupies a forest zone, limited to the steppe from the south, and the tundra from the north. Common spruce often grows next to trees of other species, forming mixed
coniferous-deciduous forests.This is a shade-loving tree. The forest, where old tall spruce trees mainly grow, makes a depressing impression. No wonder the saying came up: in the birch forest to have fun, in the pine - to pray to God, in the spruce - to strangle with longing. Perhaps the man who invented it and exaggerated, but not by much.
Norway spruce reaches a height of fifty meters. Crohn's characteristic "triangular" shape. The needles have a tetrahedral section and a length of up to two and a half centimeters. Fir cones grow up to fifteen centimeters long with a diameter of four centimeters. The range of the onset of age in which seeds begin to ripen on spruce trees is quite large. In specimens growing under different conditions, the time of seed production occurs at the age of twenty to sixty years. Seeding occurs once every four or five years.
There are a lot of trees that are used for landscaping the site. But, perhaps, one of the first places is rightfully occupied by ordinary spruce. Photo on the background of the Christmas tree (especially on New Year's Eve) - what could be better ?!
Spruce is widely used in landscape design. A large number of varied varieties for every taste have been bred. Not only wealthy people, but also those whose wealth is low can afford to land it on their site.
Norway spruce nidiformis occupies a special place among the "landscape" spruce. First of all, with its unusual appearance. Nidiformis grows very slowly, in a year - by three or four centimeters, no more. By the age of forty, its growth reaches a maximum value of 130 centimeters. However, the crown of nidiformis with such dwarf growth occupies an area of up to two meters. A kind of spiky green flattened charming ball.
And her tall sister, ordinary spruce, performs not only decorative functions. It is widely used in industry for the manufacture of a wide variety of things. Telegraph poles, sleepers, container board. But this is not all; spruce is suitable for the manufacture of musical instruments, paper.
Tannins are mined from spruce bark, and cones are needed to create a range of medications. Decoction of cones quite successfully treat diseases of the respiratory tract, in particular asthma. Found spruce buds (also used for medical purposes).