Beal Botanical Garden’s Spartan Tree Stories

4. The 1865 Norway Spruces

Picea abies

Three hundred Norway spruce seedlings were planted on the MSU campus north of the Red Cedar River in 1865. These trees were planted even before the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden was established. Many of these trees still survive today, including this one on the upper hillside of W.J. Beal Botanical Garden. The survivors are large, beautiful Norway spruce trees—being over 155 years old. Two additional nearby examples add to the tranquil surroundings of the Botanical Garden (CC4542*01, CC0749*01).

- Dr. Frank W. Telewski
Retired, Director of W. J. Beal Botanical Garden and Campus Arboretum
Professor Emeritus, Department of Plant Biology