Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens 'Glauca'

Colorado blue spruce is a medium to a large dense evergreen tree that has a pyramidal habit with horizontal branches and blue-green to silvery-blue needles. This is a popular ornamental and accent tree for its color and shape. It may grow from 30 to 60 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. It serves as a beautiful vertical accent and makes an excellent windbreak. The needles are about 1-inch long, stiff, spikey, stout, and curve slightly.  The cones are light brown and cylinder-shaped when mature. It is a member of the Pinaceae or pine family. 

It is native to the Rocky Mountain region of the United States from New Mexico up to Colorado and is cold hardy down to zone 3.

The genus name, Picea, is thought to be derived from the Latin word pix which means "pitch." This refers to the sticky resin in the bark of the tree. The species name, pungens, means "sharp and pointed" which references the needles. The variety name, glauca, means "covered with a waxy bloom" which also references the tree's needles.

The Colorado blue spruce prefers full sun and cold nights. It is tolerant of dry and moist soils but is intolerant to standing water. It performs well in most soil types and pH levels. This spruce needs to be planted where it will have plenty of room to grow and thrives in urban areas. 

Consider the Colorado blue spruce in cold climates with a hardiness zone of 2a to 3b. If planted in the southeastern United States, this variety of evergreen struggles and is slow-growing due to the heat and humidity. It may be best to consider cultivar of this variety in the southeast. This low-maintenance dense evergreen will add beauty and color to the landscape.

Seasons of Interest:

Bark: Year-round     Foliage: Year-round     Fruit: Fall and Winter

Quick ID Hints:

• dense, pyramidal-shaped evergreen with horizontal branching
• dark gray furrowed bark on mature trees
• blue-green to silvery-green spiky, stiff, needles measuring up to 1 inch long and curve slightly at the end of the branch
• light brown cones measure 2 to 4 inches long

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Colorado blue spruce is susceptible to aphids, spruce gall aphids, scale, bagworms, and spider mites.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.