Spruce trees in heat?

Is anyone having good luck with growing spruce trees in zone 6-7? I would like to plant one right by my front door here in Middle Tennessee. The site has some clay and some fairly good soil, and gets mixed sun, dappled sun, and shade. Pretty hot in August. What do you think?

Norway Spruce should be OK in those conditions, unless it's too shady. Bear in mind it gets large - do you really want a 30 or 40 metre tree next to your door?

Resin

Hi, Resin. The house is cypress logs which goes well with a large conifer (and by the time it gets that big my own opinion probably won't be an issue). But summers get extremely hot here - extended periods of over 90 or 100 degrees, and I really wondered if a spruce would do okay in the high heat.

Here in western NC zone 7a, we have a blue spruce and several dwarf Albertas that do well. Good drainage, planting high, adequate moisture especially in summer are important for survival. They can be attacked by spider mites here; if the infestation is heavy, I use a pyrethrin spray that knocks them down. The conifer nurseries I've dealt with in the area have advised that spruce is a better option below zones 5-6 than, for example, abies/fir. They need a bit of special nurture, but I love them and find it well worthwhile. Good luck-
Ruth

spartacusbaby - Thank you so much for that very specific information. I long to have a real "pine-tree/conifer" look, and have just not been sure what to try here. I have already tried a moma fir (recommended by Michael Dirr) and it is struggling pretty hard to establish itself. Next I got a Japanese cedar, cryptomeria, which seems to be doing ok in the site but has a more exotic look than I wanted. Ordinarily I'm not quite THIS picky, but the place is right by our front door, the first thing you see coming in the driveway, and I really want something homey and just right. Surely your conditions in Western NC would be similar to those here. I think I will look for a spruce at our best local nursery and go for it. Thanks again. Rebecca

You're very welcome, Rebecca; hope you'll find a spruce/picea to love, and that you'll be happy with it. I too have a cryptomeria, and like it a lot; but it's not at all a traditional pyramidal conifer. We moved here from VA, where we had planted a little blue spruce that was taller than the house by the time we moved. Loved that tree and hated to leave it; really wanted to do another down here, so was delighted when the conifer folks told me they can make it here with a bit of TLC.
Ruth

In your climate/zone the two best piceas would be the Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika) and the Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis). They are both beautiful trees and recommended by Michael Dirr for your area. For abies conifers, you might consider Concolor Fir aka French Blue (Abies concolor), and possibly Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri). You're smart to check at a good local nursery. They would sell only conifers that will do well in your area, and could special order something for you if out of stock.

Note: In the latest edition of his book, M. Dirr mentions that he is less than impressed by the performance of the Momi Fir, although others rave about it!

What do you think about a plain old blue spruce, Picea pungens, either Foxtail or Moerheimii? Forestfarm has them at a tempting price. Our best local nursery wants $189 for a four-foot blue spruce, and that's a little high even for me, who tends to splurge on plants.

Rebecca, you might also want to check out Girard's nursery or Coenosium Nursery.
They both sell nice conifers at fair prices.
The Coenosium web-site is a little clunky, but their plants are first-rate.

As mentioned, Rebecca, I absolutely love the blue spruce/picea pungens; but most cultivars will eventually get very large for a site close to the house. The one we had in VA started at about 3 feet; by the time we moved away fifteen years later, it was more than 40 feet tall and probably 15 - 20 feet across at the base. Gorgeous tree, but took up a good bit of real estate (lol). Luckily we'd planted it midway in the front yard, so it had the space it needed-
Ruth

PS I have a baby abies concolor here, purchased from Forest Farm last year; it's doing fine so far, but is in a somewhat protected site. It also has the potential to be lovely when it settles in and starts putting on some size.

There are many dwarf cultivars of Blue Spruce (Picea pungens). For a very nice dwarf, get 'Montgomery' which gets only 4'-5' tall, smaller if pruned. Remember though, that any dwarf cultivar of any spruce or pine is going to be more expensive than the species. They are grafted and slow-growing to begin with, so a good-sized plant is pricey. You're going to have to pay more for that "special" plant for a special place, but it's better than having to tear a plant out in a few years and have to buy another one.

I'm not familiar with Girard's or Coenosium and will check them out right away.