This compact cultivar of Norway spruce originated as a chance seedling at the T.C. Maxwell Brothers Nursery in Geneva, New York, sometime around 1860 — an early chapter in the long American tradition of selecting dwarf conifers for garden use. Where the straight species eventually reaches 60 feet, 'Maxwellii' tops out at 2 to 4 feet tall but spreads 8 to 10 feet wide, producing a low, flat-topped irregular globe that is substantially broader than it is high. The thick, blue-green needles are unusually stout for a Norway spruce, clustered on short, dense shoots, and the shrub builds its form in dense horizontal layers that give it a pronounced architectural presence.

It produces large pendulous cones — purple-violet to green when young, fading to light brown at maturity — which add seasonal interest through winter. Like all Norway spruce cultivars, it is particular about climate: cool summers and well-drained, acidic soil suit it best, and in North Carolina it performs far better in the mountains than in warmer regions. Plant it 12 to 24 feet from neighbors to allow its full width to develop, and use it as a specimen, a rock garden anchor, or a slow-developing foundation planting where scale and patience align.