Black Spruce vs Water Arum - TreeTime.ca

Black Spruce vs Water Arum

Calla palustris

Picea mariana

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Water Arum
Black Spruce

Water Arum is a native perennial wetland plant known for its showy white oval sheaths (spathe) that surround a yellow-green, cylindrical flower spike (spadix). It has large, oblong, heart-shaped leaves on stems that rise above the water from shallow, spreading rhizomes. The blossoms are followed in late summer by tiny, pear-shaped fruits that ripen to bright red, adding ornamental interest to wet habitats.

Water Arum provides food for birds and small mammals that eat its berries, and its flowers attract pollinators. It can tolerate cold climates and forms colonies in shallow water and saturated soils. It is well-suited for ecological restoration, riparian planting, naturalisation, and habitat projects in wet and shaded environments.

Black Spruce is a medium-sized coniferous tree that tolerates wet ground better than most spruces. It has a characteristic straight trunk and a narrow crown.

Water Arum Quick Facts

Black Spruce Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Height: 20 m (66 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Light: shade, partial shade
Light: any
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Growth form: colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none

Toxicity: toxic if ingested

Flowers: white sheath around and yellow spike
Bloom time: spring to summer
Berries: red, in clusters
Cones: dark purple
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: bog arum, swamp lily, wild calla, wild dragon
Other Names: bog spruce, canadian spruce, double spruce, eastern spruce, shorleaf black spruce, swamp spruce