Species of the genus Spruce of the Pine family. A tree with a wide pyramidal crown, 45–60 m high, trunk with a diameter of 120–240. The bark is fissured, scaly, gray or red-brown-gray, thin. The shoots are light brown, glabrous.
The needles are straight, flat, prickly, green above, silver below, 15-18 mm long, less than 1 mm wide.
The cones are cylindrical, 5-10 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, yellow-green before ripening, then light brown, falling off after a few months.
Highly decorative tree. Most effective in the form of tapeworms and in loose groups. Growth in the first 2-3 years is slow, later fast, close to the growth of common spruce. Mature plants are relatively frost-resistant. Demanding on air and soil humidity, can grow on temporarily flooded soils. Smoke and gas resistant. Maximum lifespan is 500-800 years.