Weeping Norway Spruce - Buds on Tips In Winter - February 2026

Planted in the Fall of 2023, a pair of (still) small Weeping Norway Spruce trees are standing in the long, narrow (and hard-to-grow) IB2DWs bed that runs between our driveway and our neighbor to the north.  They were the first successful conifers that I have grown from small trees and I attribute that Fall Planting to their success.  

They've had two full growing seasons (2024 and 2025) and over those two years, they've both put on some new growth at the top (growing taller) and the limbs have gone a little bit longer (and weeping, curving or 'pendulat'ing').    

The first Spring, they put out this tiny red/pink cones.  A nice treat.  And, they've also taught me something about how conifers grow.  Like decidious trees, they 'set buds'.  But, the buds are different.  They're these little brown clusters that appear at the tips of the existing limbs and branches.  They're signs of where the upcoming season's growth is going to come from on the tree.  First come the 'buds'.  Then, the new, lime green needle flush.  Here's an example of the buds opening up with new needle clusters from May 2024.  

By last Summer (June 2025), the tree planted closer to the garage outgrown their stakes and was probably close to five-feet-tall.  

Right now, the bottom of the tree is covered in snow, but the top?  It's popping off.  Below are a few photos showing the top limbs of the tree including the apical meristem (leader).    The tips are full of those brown 'buds'.  And the branches are, interestingly...in some cases...curling *upward*.  Not...weeping.  

The upgraded stake (height-wise) is now not tall enough for this tree. This post from May 2024 shows the same stake and how the tree wasn't quite as tall as the stake.  Looking at these photos, the tree is now more than foot taller than the stake.  Putting on that growth in two seasons.

Conifers should come first - is one of my Great Garden Rules.  And, these trees are proof of that idea beginning to pay off.