Chinese spruce, Yu shan, Dragon spruce
Picea asperata
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows 45 m tall. The trunk is 1 m across. The bark is greyish-brown. It is furrowed into irregular rough scaly patches. The young branches are brownish yellow. They turn brown to grey. The leaves are directed forward and curve upwards on the upper side of branches. They part and spread, on the lower side of branches. They are 1-2 cm long by 1-2 mm wide. There are 4-8 lines along each surface. The seed cones are green and mature pale brown. They are oblong and 5-16 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. The seeds are fattened and oval. They are 4 mm across.
There are between 30 and 40 species of Picea.
Where it is found
They grow in the mountains and river basins between 2400-3600 m altitude in China. It suits hardiness zones 4-8.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, China
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Flowers, inner bark, seeds, tea