This coniferous tree has an upright brownish-grey trunk with thick irregular platy bark and spreading branches that form a broad conical habit. It has dark green needle-like foliage on pendant branchlets and produces purplish cones during early summer.

Hardiness zones 6 to 9 

Picea likiangensis is naturally found in southern and western China, extending to south-east Tibet where it grows on the mountains and in the ravines or along the valleys and commonly associated with rivers from altitude of 2500 m to 4100 m (12,300 ft). 

It prefers an open sunny position and grows in well-drained moderately fertile moist sandy soils that are tending acidic with a pH 5.6-6.0 and is frost and snow tolerant but drought tender. 

The Lijiang Spruce is grown for its majestic habit and colourful cones. It is planted in parks and large gardens as a lawn specimen or used in woodland settings. It is suitable for cool mountainous and inland regions establishing in 4-6 years and is long-lived. It is  harvested for its timber that is use in construction and for paper pulp. ID 3599

Picea (pi-SEE-ah) likiangensis (LIK-ee-an-JEN-sis)

Pinaceae (py-NAY-see-ee)
Larches, spruces, pines, firs, hemlocks and cedars