Picea abies 'Pendula Major'.

They're common in wild populations in Europe. Here's one in Bulgaria.

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Resin

+om, our "Latvian" Picea abies grows in four basic forms. One of them - much veeping.

Picea abies in the forest.

But from varieties - maybe 'Viminalis'?

or Aurea Magnifica -

or Aarburg -

or Rotenhaus -

or Pruhoniceana -

Picea abies are one of my favorit trees....

Ireena

Wonderful! Now while I'm sure "Pendula Major" is the one I was trying to retrieve from my gray matter, I do wonder just how much of an official "variety" that really is. I know of trees that look exactly like those Bulgarian ones Resin shows us. Very nice trees to be sure but are they a cultivar then, or just within the normal range of variation one sees in this quite plastic species? And why does it seem like this very discussion has happened before-lol! Where's Spruceman?

+oM

"Very nice trees to be sure but are they a cultivar then, or just within the normal range of variation one sees in this quite plastic species?"

Within the normal range of variation.

Interesting to note that although books say that the pendulous shoots are an adaptation to shed snow, in Bulgaria they were commonest at lower altitudes where there would be less snow. Higher up, the trees all had much less pendulous foliage.

Resin

Thanks Res. Pretty much what I thought. Sure are some beauties.

+oM

Don't forget this one that I posted earlier. I found this somewhere on the web but I just saved the picture, unfortunately I didn't bookmark it. It doesn't show up in google images!

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Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/conif/msg0521333328646.html

Yeah Dave, I remember that one. Now this is simple personal taste, but that one doesn't suit me. Interesting as an oddity, maybe even worthy of further evaluation for the development of a cultivar, but not my thing. What I'm after, or more accurately, what my son is after-he's the one with the big yard-is the big, tall-growing NS with the very pendant branchlets. Conversely, up at our tree farm, we're just working with the luck of the draw by planting thousands of seedlings and by varying our sourcing for these trees. And holy krap are some of those shooting up nicely!

+oM

More of the same, +oM:)

These are ordinary trees that grow in our nature. But some grow thick and compact, some - long, sparse and pendulous. Of course, in the dense forest they have different growing conditions. But in the meadows and roadsides to be found very different forms of spruces - sparce and pendulous too. It is here that the snow does not matter much. Siply there are various forms of Norway spruces.... I like to walk through the forest and look for interesting shapes spruces....

Relatively drooping branches.

And here - even the snow-covered branches are firm.

Two different forms dense spruce.

Almost could take scions!:)

Ireena

Another wonderful very old Norway spruce.

Ireena

Good stuff Ireena. Your area sure does remind me of my own. A great deal of similarity it seems.

+oM

Tom:

Of the erect full-sized cultivars, my first choices would be the 'Pendula Major' and 'Pruhoniceana'. These may not be easy to find.

Another option, although it takes some additiional time, is to find one in your area that has the weeping characteristics you like, and have it custom grafted. I did this once. You should be able to find someone in your area to do it. And, follow carefully the instructions for when and how to get the cuttings.

And something else that is very important--it can take 40 years of more for a Norway spruce to develop its eventual weeping form. I have one that for the first 20 or 30 years had only a little weeping. But now, after about 50 the branchlets are weeping straight down like curtains 4 or more feet long. For a long time I thought this tree, growing by itself in a prominent position, was very ordinary. But now--wow!

Ireena: Thanks for the pictures--you and I are spruce soul-mates!

David: I love the one you have shown here, with the tops of the branches covered with shoots. I would pay a good price for a clone of that one! Some have the upper surfaces of the primary branches bare, with no shoots covering them.

--Spruce

Thanks Spruce. I see Rich's Foxwillow Pines has it (Pendula Major). Seems I've heard good things here about those guys, no?

+oM