Is zone 6a too hot for Picea glehnii (Sakhalin or Ezo Spruce)?

[mrcasey]

There are several species in the history of bonsai that, for me, carry a kind of mystique. Ezo spruce is one of those. Before he discontinued them, Brent Walston sold me a few 4" liners. I killed them but don't know if it was my bungling (very likely) or my climate. I'm at very low elevation and my summers get really hot. We have many days in the 90's and multiple days that are in the upper 90's. As most of you know, Picea glehnii are really really hard to find, but Bill Valavanis has them for sale in his catalogue. Would I be better off sticking to spruce that can tolerate up to zone 7 like birds nest spruce?

 

[Paddler037]

There are several species in the history of bonsai that, for me, carry a kind of mystique. Ezo spruce is one of those. Before he discontinued them, Brent Walston sold me a few 4" liners. I killed them but don't know if it was my bungling (very likely) or my climate. I'm at very low elevation and my summers get really hot. We have many days in the 90's and multiple days that are in the upper 90's. As most of you know, Picea glehnii are really really hard to find, but Bill Valavanis has them for sale in his catalogue. Would I be better off sticking to spruce that can tolerate up to zone 7 like birds nest spruce?

 

[rockm]

There are several species in the history of bonsai that, for me, carry a kind of mystique. Ezo spruce is one of those. Before he discontinued them, Brent Walston sold me a few 4" liners. I killed them but don't know if it was my bungling (very likely) or my climate. I'm at very low elevation and my summers get really hot. We have many days in the 90's and multiple days that are in the upper 90's. As most of you know, Picea glehnii are really really hard to find, but Bill Valavanis has them for sale in his catalogue. Would I be better off sticking to spruce that can tolerate up to zone 7 like birds nest spruce?

I've seen one here in the No.Va area (Zone 7a)--we get hotter than you all out there in W.Va.

It was a big imported older specimen (which I suspect was sourced out of the Kennett Collection). It looked to be doing fine. I don't know the owner or their exact location, though. It looked to have been in the U.S. for a while.

There is also other excellent excellent examples at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in D.C. One was a gift in 1998 when it was presented to the U.S. by Japanese Prime Minister Keizō Obuchi

Ezo spruce — Bonsai Blog — National Bonsai Foundation

Bonsai Blog

www.bonsai-nbf.org

 

[Paddler037]

I don’t know. I live in California, and we get over 100 days in a row. I have mine in morning sun, afternoon shade. Water twice daily over 95. He has never had a brown needle or any problem. He’s my love.

Give him Osmocote and fish emulsion a few times a year. He’s so special to me I baby him.

 

[GGB]

Don't know anything about Ezo spruce, BUT I know a few practitioners here give their spruce trees partial shade in the hottest summers months and swear by it. My englemann has never looked better, this was the first year I protected it. It has also been a cooler summer for us than normal though too. Again I don't know anything about Ezo, but I know at least a handful of spruce species that are more shade tolerant than pines or junipers, so if you are dead set on it, I would plan to give a little protection at least keep sun off the pots. I love picea, but knowing what I know now I won't be buying anymore