Purple-coned spruce, Zi guo yun shan
Picea purpurea

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 50 m tall. The branches are 1 m across. The bark is dark grey and scaly. The crown is like a pyramid. The small branches are yellow then turn grey. They are densely hairy. The leaves spread out and on the upper side of the branches press forward. They are flattened. They are 7-12 mm long by 1.5-1.7 mm wide. They are keeled on both surfaces. The seed cones are purplish black and long and oval. They are 2.5-4 cm long by 1.7-3 cm wide. The seeds are 9 mm across. They are brown with a purple spotted wing.

There are between 30 and 40 species of Picea.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In China they grow in mountains on N facing slopes between 2600-3800 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 7-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Flowers, inner bark, seeds, tea

How it is grown

The cones mature in 6 months.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Picea likiangensis (Franchet)E.Pritzel var. purpurea (Masters)Dallimore & A.B.Jakcson;