Look at P. omorika 'Nana'.

Think this is 'Pendula

this would be 'Nana' on left

Actually it's the typical species or a selection that looks comparatively typical. For shortness original poster should try the one I suggested.

I've got two P. omorika 'Nana', but they look very different. I think the first is more to the standard, while the second is...different. The first was obtained from a small, but well-managed, independent nursery, while the last one was from Lowe's. Something to consider.

Notice the second one is now starting to produce leaders also. Position of scion wood on stock plants and vigor of rootstock used both affect how vigorous and tree-like resulting specimens turn out to be. Hence 20' tall 'Nana Lutea' Hinoki and 40' tall Pinus strobus Nana Group. And the 'Nana' Serbian spruce I have here displaying even more horsepower than the one in the next to last picture above - descriptions based on original seedling variants on their own roots do not fit what the production industry puts out grafted on seedlings of wild species with normal vigor. It is the presumably unintended reverse of grafting fruiting or flowering trees on weak rootstocks in order to dwarf their tops.

Thank you for your posts. As beautiful as Nana is, it is too small for my space, I need something that will be taller than 15-20 ft (before 20 yrs). I should have included that in the original post. I have been trying to find a bruns serbian spruce - the straight bruns and not the pendula. But am having trouble locating them and I need 3. So was hoping people had found the straight serbian spruce to be shorter/smaller in cultivation than reported since its easier to find. I may have to wait until fall for the next nursery digs, regardless.

A 'Nana' Serbian spruce at 5565 NE Windermere Rd. in Seattle was 11 1/2 ft. tall in 2005. But you're not going to have anything shoot up tall very quickly and then level off except running bamboo.

I think Gee farms has 'Burns'

but would not ship mail order till fall

ron

I got 'Berliners Weeper' from them

Yes one of the weepers would likely work better as they are pretty narrow. 'Pendula Bruns' has all kinds of weird bends and kinks in it; very sculptural.

Non-dwarf Serbian spruce grow well above the desired height cutoff stated in the original post.

30-40 ft in 30 yrs and less than 15-20 ft wide

I'm not familar with Olympia, WA growing conditions but Picea omorika 'Bruns' (not Pendula Bruns) doesn't get even close to hitting those numbers in that timeframe around here. Only the species has that potential.

Here is the growth rate from Conifer Society - its dead nuts with what growth rate I've seen on two different properties.

After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 6 feet (2 m) tall and 2.5 feet (75 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm).

My ‘Bruns” is around 18 years old in half shade (maybe more) and grew slowly for the first 10 years. In years 10-15 it grew 6-8 inches per year and has increased since then due in no small part to the electric company butchering a neighbor’s walnut two years ago giving it more light. This year it has 12 inches of growth and is about 15 feet tall. Still only about 6 feet in diameter.

tj

Thank you all for your info! And thank you to tsugajunkie, that was exactly the kind of real life stats I needed to help decide :) sounds like I am destined to search for bruns, or find a dwarf deodara! (Or a mountain hemlock that likes clay, lol....). I so love trees!!!