Picea omorika

It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to tall, exceptionally , with a trunk diameter of up to , and a conic crown; the crown is very narrow on high altitude trees, broader at lower altitudes. older claims of trees up to 50 m tall are now unverifiable. with another not far behind at 31.5 m at Murthly Castle in Scotland. == Ecology ==

Because of its limited range, it is not a major source of nutrition to wildlife, but does provide cover for birds and small mammals. Prior to the Pleistocene ice ages, it had a much larger range throughout most of Europe. File:Picea omorika, Zaovine, Serbia 5.jpg|Foliage, showing the glossy green upper side of the needles File:Picea omorika, Zaovine, Serbia 6.jpg|Foliage, showing the glaucous blue-green stomatal stripes on the underside of needles File:Picea omorika young female cone - Keila.jpg|Immature female cone File:Fichtenzapfen P4202419.jpg|Mature female cone File:PiceaOmorika30yearsFull.jpg|Although some trees are very slender, this is not invariable; many are broader, such as this cultivated tree in France File:Manabe-nouen201605-07.jpg|Cultivar 'Pendula' == Cultivation and uses ==

Outside its native range, Serbian spruce is of major importance as an ornamental tree in large gardens, valued in northern Europe and North America for its very attractive crown form and ability to grow on a wide range of soils, including alkaline, clay, acid and sandy soil, although it prefers moist, drained loam. The crown shape is heritable, with high altitude seed sources retaining the narrow crown in cultivation, and lower altitude sources their broader crown. and also with Sitka spruce. • Picea omorika 'Nana' – a dwarf form • Picea omorika 'Pendula' – a weeping form == References ==