Colorado Blue Spruce

Species Name

Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)

Seed Source

Santa Fe National Forest and
San Juan National Forest

Character

Santa Fe: 90% of this stock will turn blue. Fast growing. Very upright branching, shorter needles than most seed sources (making them less sharp). Selected for colour and shape.
San Juan: 75% of this stock will turn blue. Upright branching, longer needles which are sharp but are also very elegant. The fastest growing seed source of Colorado Blue Spruce. Again, selected for colour and shape.

Soil

Grows well on a wide range of soils. Slightly less tolerant of wet soils than White or Norway Spruce.

Growth

Santa Fe has .5 to .75-inch long needles; San Juan has 1 to 1.25-inch needles, sharply-pointed. Slightly slower growing than Norway Spruce. Good conical form. Blue spruce is finding increasing popularity as a Christmas tree as a result of its symmetrical form and attractive blue foliage. The species has an excellent natural shape and requires little shearing.

Needle

Good to excellent

Shade

Poor

Aspect

Any. Blue spruce has limited value to wildlife but does provide cover and seeds for squirrels, rodents and some birds

Description

The Colorado Blue Spruce has an extremely high tolerance to toxicity from road salt. This species therefore makes an excellent choice as a landscaping tree near roads. To add privacy to a building from the road it is particularly suited because of its salt tolerance and it is well-liked by municipalities that are landscaping alongside highways.

In the western United States, the species has found some use in shelterbelts. Needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Its popularity as an ornamental leads many consumers to use blue spruce as a living Christmas tree, to be planted after the holiday season. The species generally reaches a height of 65-115 feet at maturity with a diameter of 2-3 feet. It has a narrow, pyramidal shape and cone-shaped crown. As trees become older, they often take on a more irregular appearance. Blue Spruce is long-lived and may reach ages of 600-800 years