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Purplecone Spruce

Picea likiangensis (PY-see-uh ly-kee-ang-EN-sis pur-PUR-ee-ah)

Family: Pinaceae Non-native Understory (15-40 ft)

Uncommon spruce with a form that is a broad conical with branches spreading horizontally to slightly ascending. This plant prefers moderately moist soil. When the cones are young they are purple in color, attractive with the green needles in the background.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 34 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Blue; Green; White
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf size
< 1 inch long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Green to blue-green 4-sided needles, 3-4 white lines on underside
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Purple-violet cones when young
Bark color
Light Gray
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Western China and eastern Tibet
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Patio; Woodland
Design feature
Accent; Border; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Screen/Privacy; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #conifer #showy cones #deer resistant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers; Deodar Weevil / Eastern Pine Weevil

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.