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Aurea Compacta

Picea orientalis (PY-see-uh or-ee-en-TAY-liss)

Family: Pinaceae Non-native Canopy (>40 ft)

A dense, compact, narrow pyramid evergreen with short ascending, horizontal or pendulous branches that extend to the ground. It will grow in a variety of soil types, including poor fertility areas. A cool climate plant that will not do well in areas of heat and humidity. It is best to protect from harsh winter winds. The needles of the male are reddish, with strawberry-shaped cones. Female cones are 2-4" long and 1" wide, reddish-purple when the tree is young. As the tree matures, they will turn brown. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : Potential problems include needle cast, cankers, bagworms, and mites.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 47 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 1 - Canopy (>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.

Fills a similar niche Juniperus virginiana Juniperus x pfitzeriana x Hesperotropsis leylandii

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in. | Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf size
< 1 inch long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark green/black, tightly set, 4-sided, 1 to 4 lines on each side
Flower detail
no flowers
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit size
> 3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Cones, reddish-purple when young, turn brown when mature
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
Smooth. Cracked into small rounded plates with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Asia minor
Wildlife value
Browsers, Nesting birds, Songbirds. Winter cover for deer and small game.
Play value
Buffer; Pieces Used in Games; Screening
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden
Design feature
Accent; Screen/Privacy; Shade Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #winter interest #drought tolerant #conifer #rabbit resistant #deer resistant #children's garden #buffer #rocky soils tolerant #clay soils tolerant #acidic soils tolerant #alkaline soils tolerant #playground plant #poor soil tolerant #screen
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers; Deodar Weevil / Eastern Pine Weevil
Resistant to
Drought; Poor Soil
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.