Picea schrenkiana, Schrenk's spruce,^[1] or Asian spruce,^[1] is a spruce native to the Tian Shan mountains of Central Asia (in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) and also to western China (Xinjiang).^[1] It grows at elevations of 1,200–3,500 m (3,900–11,500 ft),^[3] usually in pure forests, sometimes mixed with the Tien Shan variety of Siberian fir (Abies sibirica var. semenovii). Its name was given in honour of Alexander von Schrenk (1816–1876).

Quick Facts Picea schrenkiana, Conservation status ...

Picea schrenkiana
Forest at Kaindy Lake, southeast Kazakhstan
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Picea
Species:	P. schrenkiana
Binomial name
Picea schrenkiana Fisch. & C.A.Mey.[2]
Synonyms[2]
Abies schrenkiana (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Lindl. & Gordon Pinus schrenkiana (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Antoine

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Picea schrenkiana is a large evergreen tree growing to 40–50 metres (130–160 ft) tall (rarely to 60 m (200 ft)), with a trunk diameter of up to 1–2 m (3–7 ft). It has a narrow conical crown with level branches and sometimes pendulous branchlets. The shoots are pale buff-brown, and glabrous (hairless). The leaves are needle-like, 1.5–3.5 cm (0.6–1.4 in) long, rhombic in cross-section, dark green with inconspicuous stomatal lines.

The cones are cylindrical–conic, 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in)long and 2 cm (0.8 in) broad, purple when young, maturing dark brown and opening to 2.5–3.5 cm (1.0–1.4 in) broad 5–7 months after pollination; the scales are moderately stiff and smoothly rounded.

Schrenk's spruce is an important tree in central Asia for timber and paper production, where few other large trees exist. Its slower growth compared to the Norway spruce (Picea abies) reduces its importance outside of its native range.

Picea schrenkiana is grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and public parks in Europe.