Picea pungens
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- PY-see-uh PUN-jenz
- Description
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Blue spruce is a needled evergreen tree in the pine family (Pinaceae). It is native to the central Rocky Mountains from southern Montana and eastern Idaho south to New Mexico. The genus name, Picea, is thought to be derived from the Latin word, pix, which means "pitch" and refers to the sticky resin that is found on the tree's bark. The specific epithet refers to the sharply pointed needles of the tree.
This spruce does best in cooler climates and cannot tolerate heat and humidity. It may tolerate the summer weather in the North Carolina mountains. This tree can be grown in average, well-drained soils in full sun, although it will tolerate some shade. It prefers rich, moist soil in full sunlight. Young trees should be kept consistently moist and not allowed to dry out. As this spruce matures, it becomes more drought tolerant and is overall more drought tolerant than other spruces. It has a slow to medium growth rate, and it grows 30 to 60 feet tall, spreading 10 to 20 feet wide. Allow 12 to 24 feet between individuals when planting.
Blue spruce is a medium to large, narrow, pyramidal conifer with horizontal branching to the ground. It has a dense crown and is conic to columnar-conic. The needles are a silvery blue color. As the tree ages, its lower branches tend to droop toward the ground.
This tree is often utilized as a Christmas tree for its bluish color and stiff leaves for ornaments, but it is being replaced by Fraser fir due to the dangerous leaf tips that have caused injury to toddlers. Use blue spruce as a specimen plant or accent. It also works well as a privacy screen. Plant it in drought-tolerant gardens, meadows, naturalized areas, play areas, native gardens or woodland areas.
Quick ID Hints:
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Gymnosperm with bluish saber-like leaves.
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Leaves are stiff, rigid and spine-tipped.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has no serious pest issues but can be affected by aphids, scale, budworms, and bagworms. New growth and overall health of this tree can be affected by spider mites
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
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- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Patio Room Mountain Ridge Top Garden - West Lawn and Border Mountain Ridge Top Garden - East Lawn and Lower Drive Border
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Baby Blue Eyes'
Semi-dwarf, blue-gray needles - 'Bakeri'
More compact cultivar with deeper blue color
'Compacta'
- 'Foxtail'
Foxtail-like appearance of new branches - 'Glauca'
- 'Glauca Globosa'
Neat, dense, compact, rounded shape - 'Glauca Pendula'
Blue needled, sprawling, spreading form - 'Hoopsii'
Dense, pyramidal form and extremely glaucous blue needles
'Mission Blue'
- 'Moerheimii'
Rich blue foliage, more open habit - 'Montgomery'
Silver-blue needled, relatively compact - 'Otto von Bismark'
- 'Roundabout'
- 'Thompsenii'
Glaucous silver-blue foliage, symmetrical pyramidal habit
Flat topped with long bright blue, sharp-tipped needles 'Fat Albert'
A perfect cone shape, closely spaced ascending branches and steel blue needle color
Rigid tiered branches and fine foliage that emerges steel blue and matures to a deeper blue
Weeping dwarf form - 'Baby Blue Eyes'
- 'Baby Blue Eyes', 'Bakeri', 'Compacta', 'Fat Albert', 'Foxtail', 'Glauca', 'Glauca Globosa', 'Glauca Pendula', 'Hoopsii', 'Mission Blue', 'Moerheimii', 'Montgomery', 'Otto von Bismark', 'Pendula', 'Roundabout', 'Thompsenii'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Baby Blue Eyes'
Semi-dwarf, blue-gray needles - 'Bakeri'
More compact cultivar with deeper blue color
'Compacta'
- 'Foxtail'
Foxtail-like appearance of new branches - 'Glauca'
- 'Glauca Globosa'
Neat, dense, compact, rounded shape - 'Glauca Pendula'
Blue needled, sprawling, spreading form - 'Hoopsii'
Dense, pyramidal form and extremely glaucous blue needles
'Mission Blue'
- 'Moerheimii'
Rich blue foliage, more open habit - 'Montgomery'
Silver-blue needled, relatively compact - 'Otto von Bismark'
- 'Roundabout'
- 'Thompsenii'
Glaucous silver-blue foliage, symmetrical pyramidal habit
Flat topped with long bright blue, sharp-tipped needles 'Fat Albert'
A perfect cone shape, closely spaced ascending branches and steel blue needle color
Rigid tiered branches and fine foliage that emerges steel blue and matures to a deeper blue
Weeping dwarf form - 'Baby Blue Eyes'
- 'Baby Blue Eyes', 'Bakeri', 'Compacta', 'Fat Albert', 'Foxtail', 'Glauca', 'Glauca Globosa', 'Glauca Pendula', 'Hoopsii', 'Mission Blue', 'Moerheimii', 'Montgomery', 'Otto von Bismark', 'Pendula', 'Roundabout', 'Thompsenii'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Picea
- Species:
- pungens
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- USA
- Fire Risk Rating:
- high flammability
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Conical
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Prickles
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Orange
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Female cones are oblong-cylindrical, sessile, pendulous, 2-4" long, 1" in diameter, are green with violet bloom, ripening light brown. Scales are thick based, apex is thin, and emarginate. Margins are finely toothed and undulate. Male cones are orange.
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Flowers:
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, saber-like, spreading more or less around stems, rigid, incurved, have apical spines, and are dull green to bluish to silvery-white in color. Leaves have stomatic lines one each lateral side. Leaves grow up to 1" in size.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Bark Description:
- Bark is purplish-gray, deeply grooved, and forms thick scales.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stem buds are broadly conical to nearly spherical, blunt, and yellowish-brown in color. Scales are loosely appressed, apices are reflexed, and they are more or less keeled. Branches are in whorls, horizontal, and the lowermost are downswept with age.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Pollution
- Rabbits
