Schrenk's Spruce (Picea schrenkiana) is a spruce native to the Tian Shan mountains of central Asia in western China (Xinjiang), Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It grows at altitudes of 1,300-3,600 m, usually in pure forests, sometimes mixed with the Tien Shan variety of Siberian Fir (Abies sibirica var. semenovii).
It is a large evergreen tree growing to 40-50 m tall (rarely to 60 m), with a trunk diameter of up to 1-2 m. It has a narrow conical crown with level branches and sometimes pendulous branchlets. The shoots are pale buff-brown, and glabrous (hairless). The leaves are needle-like, 1.5-3.5 cm long, rhombic in cross-section, dark green with inconspicuous stomatal lines. The cones are cylindric-conic, 6-12 cm long and 2 cm broad, purple when young, maturing dark brown and opening to 2.5-3.5 cm broad 5-7 months after pollination; the scales are moderately stiff and smoothly rounded.
There are two subspecies:
- Picea schrenkiana subsp. schrenkiana. Eastern Tian Shan, in Kazakhstan and Xinjiang. Leaves longer, 2-3.5 cm long.
- Picea schrenkiana subsp. tianshanica (Rupr.) Bykov. Western Tian Shan, in Kyrgyzstan. Leaves shorter, 1.5-2.5 cm long.
It is closely related to, and in many respects intermediate between, Morinda Spruce (P. smithiana) from further south in the Himalaya, and Siberian Spruce (P. obovata) further north in Siberia.
Uses
Schrenk's Spruce is an important tree in central Asia for timber and paper production, where few other large trees exist; its slower growth compared to Norway Spruce reduces its importance outside of its native range. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens in Europe.
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