Alberta spruce

noun

: a white spruce (Picea glauca albertiana) of the northwestern United States and Canada

especially : a slow-growing, dwarf, cone-shaped cultivar (Picea glauca albertiana conica) grown as an ornamental

Many homeowners use Alberta spruce as year-round color near their front door.

—Marilee Spanjian, The Tennessean, 23 Feb. 2003

Dwarf Alberta spruce grows in the perfect, conical, Christmas-tree form; it is densely covered with foliage, so decorations don't hang as much as protrude from its surface.

—Marty Wingate, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 6 Dec. 2001

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!