Secrest Select is a program developed by Secrest Arboretum and Friends of Secrest Arboretum with the goal of recommending superior plants for home landscapes, based on the plant’s performance in Secrest Arboretum. To find the list of selection criteria and the complete list of plants, visit secrestselect.com. The 2026 class of Secrest Select plants includes, Chionanthus virginicus, Magnolia tripetala, Picea orientalis, Abelia mosanensis, Aesculus parviflora, Microbiota decussata, and Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'.
Picea orientalis, Oriental Spruce, was an easy pick for this year’s class. The specific epithet, orientalis, simply means of the east, and for Carlos Linnaeus the plant originated east of Sweden. Picea orientalis is native to the Caucus mountains (Georgia, Russia and Turkey) where it can be found on rocky or sandy soils that are rich in organic matter with an acidic pH. However, it is also more tolerant of slightly alkaline soils than other Picea species. As a species native to high elevations (2,300-7,000 ft), Picea orientalis is adapted to cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers.
In both its native range and in cultivation Picea orientalis commonly reaches heights over 100’ tall. It is narrow with graceful long slender branches. The short needles (1/4” to 1/3” long – the shortest of all spruce species) are dark green and evergreen. Some arboretum visitors remark how they look like plastic. The tree is valued as a timber tree.
Terminal female cones are also narrow, only about an inch wide, and covered in large quantities of resin. The female cones are borne in the upper portions of the tree while the male cones are typically found in the lower regions of the tree, a strategy that botanists believe helps prevent the tree from pollinating itself.
The tree is well adapted to our Ohio climate and thrives in the landscape. Once established, it is a fast grower, putting on up to 18” of growth per year. When selecting a planting location, try to find a site that mimics its native habitat—full sun, moist, well-drained soils that are acidic to slightly alkaline. Picea orientalis has been thriving in Secrest since 1915, when it was planted as part of a forestry research plot. We also have a nice specimen located on the south side of the Unique Collections Garden, and many small dwarf selections throughout the gardens.
–Paul Snyder, Operations Manager snyder1062@osu.edu