A Fast, Stately Spruce for Windbreaks and Screens

Norway Spruce (Picea abies) is one of the fastest and toughest large evergreens for the upper Midwest. It grows into a broad pyramid 40-60 feet tall, with rich dark green needles and gracefully drooping branchlets that give mature trees a distinctive sweeping look. A long-time favorite for windbreaks, privacy screens, and bold specimen planting.

Norway Spruce Plant Details

Norway Spruce Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Fast Windbreaks and Screens

Norway Spruce is the fastest-growing spruce, often adding 1-2 feet or more a year when young, which makes it the go-to tree for a windbreak or privacy screen you want filling in quickly. Space the trees 12-15 feet apart in a row for a tall, dense barrier on a rural-edge or larger metro property in Plymouth or Maple Grove.

Stately Specimen Trees

With age, Norway Spruce develops a commanding, broad-pyramidal form with gracefully drooping branchlets that give it real character. As a single specimen in a larger Twin Cities yard, that stately silhouette and deep green color make it a true landmark tree.

Tough, Adaptable Evergreen

It has been planted across the Upper Midwest for generations because it is so reliable - tolerating a range of soils, shrugging off cold and snow load, and asking for little once established. Like all spruce, its stiff needles make it dependably deer-resistant.

Best Time to Plant Norway Spruce in Minnesota

As an evergreen, Norway Spruce establishes best when planted in late summer to early fall - late August through mid September is the ideal Twin Cities window, giving roots time to settle before the ground freezes and reducing winter desiccation. Spring (late April through May, after the ground thaws) is the strong second choice. Avoid midsummer planting, and never plant after mid-October or before the ground thaws.

How to Plant Norway Spruce

1. Dig the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper - in heavy clay, go wider still and set the top of the root ball slightly above grade.
2. Check for clay hardpan: if water pools in the bottom of the hole, break through the compacted layer or mound-plant to improve drainage.
3. Backfill with the native soil mixed with 20-30% compost; avoid creating a pure-compost pocket that traps water around the roots.
4. Give a specimen plenty of room - 15-20 feet from buildings - or space windbreak trees 12-15 feet apart in a row.
5. Build a 3-4 inch watering basin around the root zone, then flatten it before winter to prevent ice damage.
6. Mulch with 2-3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips, kept a couple of inches back from the trunk. Do not use gravel mulch - it offers no winter insulation in Minnesota.

Watering Norway Spruce in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

• Weeks 1-2: water deeply every 1-2 days, soaking the root ball slowly.
• Month 1-2: water every 3-4 days.
• Month 3 onward: water every 5-7 days through the growing season, easing off when rainfall is adequate.
• Stop watering 2-3 weeks before the ground freezes (late October in the metro). A single deep soak in early December helps if fall was dry, since evergreens lose moisture all winter.

After Year One

• Established plants need supplemental water only during droughts - two or more weeks with no rain.
• Water deeply and infrequently, soaking to 6-8 inches, and let natural rainfall do most of the work.

Will Norway Spruce survive a Minnesota winter?

Easily. It is hardy to roughly -40F (USDA zone 3), well beyond the Twin Cities metro range of zone 4b-5a, and it has been a dependable Upper Midwest evergreen for well over a century.

How fast does it grow?

Fast - often 1-2 feet or more per year when young, the quickest of the spruces. That speed is exactly why it is so popular for windbreaks and quick screens. Growth slows as it matures into its stately form.

How big does it get, and how much room does it need?

It matures to about 40-60 feet tall and 25-30 feet wide, so give it plenty of space - it is a large specimen and windbreak tree, not a small-yard plant.

Is Norway Spruce deer-resistant?

Yes. Deer rarely browse spruce because the stiff, sharp needles deter them, making it a dependable pick for high-pressure western suburbs like Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Eden Prairie.

You May Also Like

• White Spruce - a hardy Minnesota native spruce for windbreaks and wildlife.
• Serbian Spruce - a narrow, graceful spruce for tall screens in tighter spaces.
• Acrocona Norway Spruce - an ornamental Norway spruce with showy red spring cones.
• Bird's Nest Norway Spruce - a low, nest-shaped dwarf form for the front of a bed.

How Many Norway Spruce Do I Need?

For a windbreak or privacy screen, space trees 12-15 feet apart on center in a single row; on larger rural properties, a double staggered row at 15-foot spacing gives the densest wind protection. As a specimen, plant one and give it 15-20 feet from buildings and 25+ feet from other large trees.

Norway Spruce Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Bright, soft lime-green new growth tips every branch in May - a fresh two-tone effect against the older dark needles. Fast vertical growth kicks in early.
• Summer: A dense, rich green pyramid putting on 1-2+ feet of growth; mature trees develop the signature curtain of drooping branchlets.
• Fall: Holds its deep green color while deciduous trees drop; large pendulous cones (the longest of any spruce) hang from the upper branches and feed squirrels and winter birds.
• Winter: The workhorse season - a solid evergreen wall that blocks wind and snow, shrugs off heavy snow load on its flexible branchlets, and stays handsome at -40F.

At a Glance

✔ Deer-Resistant   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• White Spruce - a Minnesota-native spruce to mix into a windbreak row for diversity.
• Serbian Spruce - a narrower, elegant spruce where the screen has to fit a tighter run.
• Acrocona Norway Spruce - the showy-coned ornamental cousin for a bed nearby.
• Bird's Nest Spruce - a low dwarf spruce to anchor the foreground of an evergreen planting.

Is Norway Spruce Right for Your Yard?

Choose it if you have a larger lot in full sun and want the fastest dependable evergreen wall for privacy, wind protection, or a landmark specimen - it tolerates clay, cold, snow, and deer pressure with ease. It's not a fit for small city yards or tight side strips: at 25-30 feet wide it will overwhelm the space, and a narrow form like Serbian Spruce or an arborvitae is the better call there.