One of my spruce shrubs has a branch that looks different from the rest of the plant. What should I do about it?

Answer

What you have is called a “reversion." It can occur on any conifer or hardwood cultivar. What happens is that a portion of the plant has changed back (reverted) to exhibit the characteristics of the original species from which the cultivar was derived.

You should prune off the reverted shoots as close to the main cultivar stem as possible. If left unpruned, reversions will dominate the tree and you will eventually have a plain old spruce without the qualities of the cultivar you selected.

For tips on a variety of gardening topics, see our Plant Information Guides.
- Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service

  • Last Updated Mar 30, 2021
  • Views 149
  • Answered By Anita Finkle

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