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Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.

Pinaceae · Alaska, Nunavut +24 · listed by its genus as a temperate garden plant

English names not checked: Wikidata's common names were not read for this page.

Photographs not checked iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not asked, or not answered, is not "none": nothing here claims there is none. Why the site says it this way.
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Sow seed
Habitat figures
Cold floor (1 night in 100)
-26.0°C
Record low -40.7 °C in 44 years, at a typical spot in the range NASA POWER
Warmest month, mean daily high
26°C
Jul at the habitat CHELSA
Rain a year (median across the range)
1,067mm
12 months of 25 mm or more in the median year CHELSA
Open-sky light
8–40DLI
Lowest to highest month (DLI) CHELSA
The year in your months, northern hemisphere
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Rain spread: 70% of the median year's rain takes 8 months, so no short rainy season. rain rule, CHELSA
Northern hemisphere unless you set your site. The chart is in the habitat's months.

Summary

Picea glauca, the white spruce, is a species of spruce native to the northern temperate and boreal forests in Canada and United States, North America.

Quoted from Wikipedia, "Picea glauca", CC BY-SA 4.0; its title is one of this species' older names (GBIF Backbone), which is the proof that the article is this species'.

Cultivation

Grouped as a temperate garden plant, listed under the genus Picea in the archetype table, and Kew describes it as “tree”, “temperate”.

Seasons

The rain rule reads no short rainy season: 70% of the median year's rain (786 mm of 1,072 mm) takes 8 months, April to November. Mean temperature moves 25.8 °C between the warmest and coldest month. Months are the habitat's, northern hemisphere; shifted six months for a southern-hemisphere collection: October to May.

Rain

1,072 mm in the median year at the habitat, 786 mm of it April to November. Wettest month June at 105 mm, driest month February at 64 mm. Across the grid cells of the range the year's total runs 890 mm to 1,521 mm, the 10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year. The median of the cells' own yearly totals, 1,067 mm, is the year's rain at the top of the page; the 1,072 mm here is the median year's, the twelve monthly medians added, which the rain rule reads. Habitat calendar, northern hemisphere; median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA.

Light

Open sky over the habitat: 8 to 40 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 6, the highest 90th-percentile month 42).

Warmth and air
Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range is -26.0 °C, the absolute minimum -40.7 °C, 7,407 frost nights in 44 years, 168.3 a year (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 31.8 °C. Monthly means: the coldest month's mean nightly low -8.5 °C in January (across the grid cells of the range -14.1 °C to -5.7 °C), the warmest month's mean daily high 25.5 °C in July (median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). Cold floor: -26.0 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range (NASA POWER).

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 57 to 62% across the year (monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

How this section is made

Each card states this species' habitat figures with their sources, and what two fixed rules read from them; nothing here says what the plant does, wants or tolerates. The rules · the terms.

Seasons. Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the grid cells of the range: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve moves 4 °C or more and the habitat lies 10° or more from the equator. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain. CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the grid cells of the range. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light. CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Temperature. NASA POWER daily minima and maxima over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, lapse-corrected -573 m to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range. The cold floor is the 1st-percentile night named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity. CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the grid cells of the range.

Group. Listed under the genus Picea in the archetype table, and Kew describes it as “tree”, “temperate”. A group is taken only where Kew's description of the species agrees with the table's listing. The table gives no figure and no prose; the cold floor is the habitat's alone.

Climate across the habitat

Habitat months, northern hemisphere

Habitat climate of Picea laxa through the yearWarmest month July, mean daily high 26 °C; coldest month January, mean nightly low -8.5 °C; 1,072 mm of rain in the median year (the twelve monthly medians added). Medians across the range, from CHELSA; the extremes at the edge from NASA POWER. Habitat months, northern hemisphere.-60°-40°-20°0°20°40°frost31.8° 99th-percentile day, NASA POWER-40.7° lowest night in 44 years, NASA POWER°C · day and nightcold quarter050100150200mm rainDLI 8–40RH 57–62%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain medians and 10th–90th percentile across 21 habitat cells, CHELSA cold quarter: the three months around the coldest month's mean nightly low extremes over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, from NASA POWER, marked at the edge, in no month DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C-1 / -5–20 / -4–24 / -1–711 / 3–1317 / 10–1922 / 14–2526 / 17–2724 / 17–2620 / 16–2213 / 11–157 / 3–91 / -2–4
Night °C-9 / -14–-6-8 / -12–-5-4 / -7–-12 / -1–58 / 4–1014 / 8–1616 / 12–1917 / 12–1813 / 7–148 / 2–91 / -4–4-5 / -9–-2
Rain mm75 / 51–13364 / 42–10870 / 52–13589 / 71–13997 / 84–124105 / 88–126102 / 82–118104 / 82–117104 / 78–12293 / 72–14492 / 67–17177 / 50–159
DLI11 / 8–1217 / 15–1825 / 24–2632 / 30–3337 / 35–3940 / 37–4239 / 37–4234 / 32–3626 / 24–2717 / 16–1911 / 9–128 / 6–10
RH %62 / 60–6560 / 59–6358 / 57–6357 / 55–6257 / 56–6359 / 57–6459 / 57–6660 / 59–6560 / 58–6360 / 57–6261 / 59–6562 / 60–65
How this section is made
Each figure is the median across the 21 grid cells holding the 21 in-range records, with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. A dash is a month one or more of those cells has no figure for in the grid (a variable CHELSA does not carry there), so no median is taken rather than one over fewer cells. Extremes and elevation were read at a typical spot in the range, cell 830:1320 (48.475, -113.975). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum -40.7 °C, 1st-percentile night -26.0 °C, 99th-percentile day 31.8 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Across the range: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 21 distinct grid cells holding 21 of the 21 in-range records; extremes and elevation at the typical cell 830:1320 (its coldest month's mean nightly low nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 48.50_-113.750, lapse-corrected -573 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 1085 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across the cells of the in-range records placed well enough to read one, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.

This species has no GBIF key of its own. Its records are GBIF's under the keys of the names Kew's World Checklist holds as this plant: 2685904 (Abies laxa (Münchh.) K.Koch, 0 records), 2685907 (Abies canadensis Mill., 2 records), 5686611 (Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg., 38 records), 7712013 (Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi, 0 records), 11267963 (Pinus canadensis DuRoi, 0 records), 12061886 (Picea canadensis (Mill.) Britton et al., 14 records), 12317748 (Pinus laxa Münchh., 0 records). No name was matched to GBIF; the keys are read from Kew's synonymy. How.

NativeAlaska, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont · introduced: Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, Great Britain, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Poland, Baltic States · regions are the level-3 units of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, as Kew's World Checklist records ranges, some under historical names such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia (how).
Map marker43.899, -79.254 · in the densest population, 4 records (17% of those in range)
Kew's description“tree” · “temperate” · quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Evidence usedThe map marker rests on all 23 georeferenced records inside the native range; the climate across the range on the 21 of them placed to within 10 km, all openly licensed and shown on the map. 14 records outside the WCVP native range not used. 2 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km, or with no stated accuracy (admitted only as a person's observation to three decimals), and stay on the map but off the climate.
Other GBIF keysRecords also from GBIF's key 2685904 (Abies laxa (Münchh.) K.Koch): Kew's file holds it as Abies laxa (Münchh.) K.Koch (synonym under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.Records also from GBIF's key 2685907 (Abies canadensis Mill.): Kew's file holds it as Abies canadensis Mill. (synonym under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.); 2 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 5686611 (Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.): Kew's file holds it as Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg. (accepted); 38 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 7712013 (Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi): Kew's file holds it as Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi (illegitimate under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.Records also from GBIF's key 11267963 (Pinus canadensis DuRoi): Kew's file holds it as Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi (illegitimate under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.Records also from GBIF's key 12061886 (Picea canadensis (Mill.) Britton et al.): Kew's file holds it as Picea canadensis (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb. (illegitimate under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.); 14 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 12317748 (Pinus laxa Münchh.): Kew's file holds it as Pinus laxa Münchh. (synonym under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.
How this section is made
The map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population of the 23 in-range records; it decides nothing. Records outside the native range, living specimens and records marked introduced are not used; which records count.

Photographs

Not checked. iNaturalist and GBIF media were skipped (not asked) when this page was built. Not a statement that none exist.

Similar habitat climate The 6 nearest by mean daily high, mean nightly low and rain, month by month. How.

Melampyrum lineare Melampyrum lineare American cow-wheat Photo: CC BY, The Wrong IndustryCypripedium acaule Cypripedium acaule Pink lady's-slipper Photo: CC BY, Erin LalimeGaultheria procumbens Gaultheria procumbens Checkerberry Photo: CC BY, Erin LalimeCarex communis Carex communis Fibrous-root sedge Photo: CC0, author not statedAronia melanocarpa Aronia melanocarpa Black chokeberry Photo: CC BY, Lythronax246Dulichium arundinaceum Dulichium arundinaceum Three-way sedge Photo: CC BY, Steven Lamonde

Other Picea 35 in the reference

Picea abies Picea abies Norway spruce Photo: CC BY, Марина Давлетшина Picea × albertiana Pinaceae Picea alcoquiana Picea alcoquiana Alcock's Spruce Photo: CC BY-SA, Inti-solPicea asperata Picea asperata Dragon spruce Photo: CC BY, rduta on FlickrPicea brachytyla Picea brachytyla Sargent's Spruce Photo: CC0, author not statedPicea breweriana Picea breweriana Brewer spruce Photo: CC BY, Sam EberhardPicea chihuahuana Picea chihuahuana Chihuahua spruce Photo: CC BY, Rodolfo Maximiliano Gutiérrez-SánchezPicea crassifolia Picea crassifolia Qinghai spruce Photo: CC0, no rights reservedPicea engelmannii Picea engelmannii Engelmann spruce Photo: CC BY, Daughter DadPicea × fennica Picea × fennica Pinaceae Photo: CC0, author not statedPicea glehnii Picea glehnii Sakhalin spruce Photo: CC BY, Andrew BazdyrevPicea jezoensis Picea jezoensis Yezo spruce Photo: CC BY, Violetta Dzizyurova all 36 ›

Names & registers

Also known as Abies rubra var. violacea; Picea canadensis var. glauca; Picea alba var. pendula; Picea canadensis var. pendula; Picea glauca var. pendula and 36 more. (WCVP, RBG Kew)

Under another author Abies alba (Castigl.) Michx. is an older name of this species, not Abies alba, a species of the reference. (GBIF Backbone)

IPNIPOWOWikidataWFOWikipedia

The record

Family
Pinaceae
Described by
(Münchh.) Sarg.
Native to
Alaska, Nunavut, Northwest Territories +23
Wild records
23 in range · 23 open

Every figure here is derived from public data by a stated rule and names its source; nothing about this species is written for its page by a person or by AI, apart from the marked, credited quotations. How →

Where this page came from built 2026-10-22
Kew's names (WCVP) kew.names answeredas of 2026-06-04Kew's entry Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg. (plant_name_id 381078), read from Kew's names file
GBIF species record gbif.species not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF synonyms gbif.synonyms not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF common names gbif.vernacular not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
WCVP native range wcvp.distribution answeredas of 2026-06-04
GBIF occurrence records gbif.occurrences answeredasked 2026-10-22this species has no GBIF key of its own; its records are read under GBIF's keys for the names Kew's file holds as this plant, never by a name matched; GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.hbdw64, of 2026-10-21; 0 records of GBIF's key 2685904, Abies laxa (Münchh.) K.Koch (Kew's file holds it as Abies laxa (Münchh.) K.Koch (synonym under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 2 records of GBIF's key 2685907, Abies canadensis Mill. (Kew's file holds it as Abies canadensis Mill. (synonym under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.)): the GBIF download; 38 records of GBIF's key 5686611, Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg. (Kew's file holds it as Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg. (accepted)): the GBIF download; 0 records of GBIF's key 7712013, Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi (Kew's file holds it as Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi (illegitimate under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 0 records of GBIF's key 11267963, Pinus canadensis DuRoi (Kew's file holds it as Pinus canadensis (Mill.) Du Roi (illegitimate under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 14 records of GBIF's key 12061886, Picea canadensis (Mill.) Britton et al. (Kew's file holds it as Picea canadensis (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb. (illegitimate under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.)): the GBIF download; 0 records of GBIF's key 12317748, Pinus laxa Münchh. (Kew's file holds it as Pinus laxa Münchh. (synonym under Picea laxa (Münchh.) Sarg.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 15 records within 1 km of a botanic garden, herbarium or zoo left out (15 at a botanic garden or arboretum; Wikidata's list)
Habitat climate climate answeredasked 2026-10-22
Daily extremes (NASA POWER) climate.extremes answeredasked 2026-10-22NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell 48.50_-113.750, lapse-corrected -573 m at 6.5 °C/km
Wikidata wikidata answeredasked 2026-10-22found by Kew's IPNI identifier 195881-2, POWO 195881-2
Wikipedia wikipedia answeredasked 2026-10-22Wikipedia redirects Picea laxa to Picea glauca, an older name of this species (Picea glauca)
iNaturalist taxon inat.taxon not asked
iNaturalist photographs, wild inat.photos.wild not asked
iNaturalist photographs, cultivated inat.photos.cultivated not asked
GBIF media gbif.media not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
Wikimedia Commons commons nothing to reportasked 2026-10-22
OpenAlex papers openalex not askednot yet asked for this reference; a later fill takes the papers from OpenAlex's snapshot

Every source is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, refused, failed, not been asked, or answered twice where one answer is taken (“not taken: two items answered”), and, for a source asked when this page was built, when: the figures are as the source held them that day; a source read from a file (Kew's World Checklist, a GBIF download) says "as of" the file's day instead; a row carried from an earlier build of the page names that build instead. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 11 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.

Cultifolio

Opening your plants…