Picea orientalis 'Ferny Creek Prostrate'

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Key characteristics

Family: Pinaceae
Height: 6 to 24 inches
Width: 3 to 5 feet (spreading mat form)
Flower color: None; produces cones rather than flowers
Foliage color: Short, shiny very dark-green needles
Bloom time: Early spring for pollen release; seed cones develop afterward (inconspicuous)
Light: Full sun to light / partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; requires little or no pruning
Growing zone: USDA zones 4 to 9
Wildlife: Provides ground-level shelter for small wildlife; cones may offer seeds for birds or small mammals; also deer and rabbit resistant

Shrubs

Picea orientalis 'Ferny Creek Prostrate'

Ferny Creek Prostrate Oriental Spruce

Picea orientalis 'Ferny Creek Prostrate' is a dwarf evergreen conifer with a flat, ground-hugging habit and layered, spreading branches. Short, shiny, very dark green needles line the stems, forming a dense, low mat that slowly expands over time. In spring, small reddish pollen cones and developing seed cones appear among the foliage, adding quiet seasonal interest.

'Ferny Creek Prostrate' originated at Ferny Creek Nursery in Victoria, Australia, in the 1990s and has been promoted through the American Conifer Society's Collectors' Conifer of the Year program.

Light

Full sun to light / partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Early spring for pollen release; seed cones develop afterward (inconspicuous)

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Slopes & Banks
Rock Gardens
Deer Prone Areas

Companion plants

Abelias · Tufted hair grass · Stonecrop · Coneflower · Agastache · Blazing star

Design tip

Let ‘Ferny Creek Prostrate’ spread naturally into a broad evergreen carpet, using its layered branches to soften transitions between rocks, changes in grade, or other hard landscape edges. Its very dark green foliage creates a strong, consistent visual base throughout the year.