The blue spruce, whose scientific name is Picea punguns, is a popular evergreen tree used by many homeowners throughout the United States as a landscaping tree. Native to the United States and Canada, the blue spruce (green spruce, white spruce, Colorado spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce) is found in growing zones 1 through 7 with a natural range extending from northern New Mexico through Colorado and Utah to Wyoming and into Alberta and British Columbia. The coniferous tree has blue-green colored needles. The blue spruce is also the State Tree of Colorado.
Because of its hardiness and adaptability to most regions throughout the country, the blue spruce is one of the most popular choices of many homeowners when choosing a new tree for their property. The evergreen makes a great windbreak, screen, or border tree on a property because of its large height and width when full grown. Smaller blue spruce trees are the most desirable Christmas tree variety. If you are considering planting a blue spruce on your lawn, consider first learning some interesting and useful facts about the blue spruce tree. Also learn how to plant a blue spruce tree to add this beautiful tree to your landscaping project.
Originally published on March 25, 2012. Updated on July 14, 2024.
Blue Spruce Physical Description
Blue Spruce Fast Facts
- Color: blue-green to silver
- Height: 50 to 75 feet in landscaping (up to 135 feet in the wild)
- Width: 10 to 20 feet (up to 30 feet in the wild)
- Shape: pyramid
Blue spruces are a popular evergreen tree with stiff evergreen needles that range in color from blue-green to silver. Seedlings generally grow to about six feet tall in seven to eight years after planting. Full grown blue spruce trees in the wild have been known reach heights of 90 to 135 feet tall with widths of twenty to thirty feet. However, most blue spruces planted near homes measure 30 to 90 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide at maturity.
One of the most appealing physical qualities of the blue spruce is its shape. Blue spruce evergreens have wider branches at the base that taper off towards the top to form a pyramid shape. Its size and shape make the blue spruce an extremely attractive landscaping evergreen. Blue spruces are especially popular in areas with snow during the winter months because the pyramid shape catches snow while still blocking cold winds. The blue spruce additionally provides food and shelter for siskins, nuthatches, crossbills, and other animals.
Blue spruce trees exhibit remarkable adaptability, thriving across a broad range of conditions. These evergreens are known for their hardiness and ability to grow in various soil types, including sandy, loam, and clay soils with pH levels from 3.7 to 6.5. Blue spruces can tolerate partial shade but flourish in full sun, making for versatile trees for different landscaping scenarios. Their moisture requirements are also flexible, with the ability to grow in wet, moist, or dry conditions. Their longevity, coupled with their resilience to diverse environmental conditions, makes blue spruce trees a preferred choice for homeowners and landscapers across the United States.
Growing Blue Spruce
Blue Spruce Growth Facts
- Zone: 2 to 8
- Soil: sandy, loam, clay
- pH: 3.7 to 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Light: partial shade to full sun
- Moisture: wet, moist, dry
- Life span: 40 to 60 years in landscaping (200+ years in the wild)
In addition to their physical appearance, Colorado blue spruce evergreens are also extremely popular because of their adaptability to most regions. Although the blue spruce prefers areas with acidic sandy soil and full sun, blue spruces can be grown in almost every state of the United States from the deep south (Zone Eight) to the northern border states (Zones 2 and 3). Blue spruce trees will even grow in the southern areas of Alaska. The Colorado blue spruce will survive the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter, which makes this tree an ideal choice for homeowners in temperate regions.
Because the Colorado blue spruce is native to the Rocky Mountain area, this tree will tolerate poor quality soil and is fairly drought resistance. Blue spruces prefer sun but will tolerate partial shade, at least until the tree towers above surrounding plants and structures. Note that, as with most evergreen varieties, the soil in which a blue spruce grows will become more acidic than neutral, which limits the types of ground-covering plants that will grown beneath these trees. However, certain types of plants do thrive under evergreens like the blue spruce. With the proper care, a blue spruce tree can live beyond 200 years. Its life span as a windbreak or ornamental tree is about 40 to 60 years, after which the tree begins to deteriorate in usefulness.
Materials for Planting a Blue Spruce
When planting a blue spruce tree on your property, you will need the following materials:
- Blue spruce seedling
- Shovel
- Garden fork
- Compost
- Stakes*
- Support wires*
- 3-inch plastic hose pieces*
- Mulch
- Hose
- Water
*Staking your new blue spruce tree is not required. However, larger trees planted in poor quality soil may benefit from staking.
Instructions for Planting a Blue Spruce
- Begin by choosing a 2-foot tall blue spruce sapling that is free of disease and otherwise healthy looking. Avoid saplings with a lot of browned needles. Sapling may come in pots or with roots wrapped in burlap.
- Choose the area of your yard with soil that drains well in which to plant the seedling, Keep in mind the full-grown height and width of the average blue spruce.
- Call your local utility companies to ensure that you will not be digging up any wires or pipes. Many regions have an agency such as J.U.L.I.E that will mark your yard for free.
- Dig a hole that is twice as wide in circumference and a few inches deeper than the root ball of your blue spruce sapling.
- Use the garden fork to loosen the dirt around the edges of the hole so that the roots of your new blue spruce can more easily penetrate the dirt.
- Add compost to the bottom of the hole if your soil is of extremely low quality.
- Lay the tree sapling on its side with the root ball hanging over the hole.
- Remove the container or burlap from the roots. Gently loosen the root ball. Because tree roots begin to die when exposed to air and light, immediately place the tree in the hole.
- Fill in the remaining hole with dirt. Tamp down the surface of the soil to remove any large pockets of air.
- Form a ring of dirt around the perimeter of the hole to aid with watering. Place a layer of mulch inside the ring.
- Stake the blue spruce sapling if necessary. Use the pieces of old garden hose to protect the branches from the support wires. Plan to remove the stakes as soon as the tree becomes established. Leaving the supports on too long can damage or kill the tree trunk or limbs.
- Water your newly planted blue spruce until water stands in the ring. Continue to water every day until the tree becomes established. Fill the ring until the water stops soaking into the ground.
- The popularity of the Colorado blue spruce is proved by the facts about the blue spruce tree. With its flexibility and durability, a blue spruce makes an excellent addition to almost any landscaping project.
Tips for Planting a Blue Spruce
Although the blue spruce is a hardy variety of evergreen, the best time to plant a new sapling is during the fall after the tree has become dormant for the year. A dormant tree will suffer less trauma while being moved and planted.- Depending on the climate in your region, you may need to protect your new blue spruce sapling from wind and extreme temperatures. Evergreen saplings can suffer from sunscald and broken branches due to heat, wind, snow, and ice.
- Use blue spruce trees to block wind and sun on your property.
- Ensure proper spacing between blue spruce trees to allow for full growth and to prevent overcrowding.
- Mulch around the base of the tree to retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce weed growth.
- Regularly check for pests and diseases, such as spruce needle rust or aphids, and treat promptly to maintain tree health.
- Water deeply but infrequently to encourage deep root growth, especially during dry periods.
- Prune dead or damaged branches to promote healthy growth and maintain the tree’s shape.
- Apply a balanced fertilizer in the spring to support new growth and overall health of the tree.
As a popular evergreen tree in the United States due to its hardiness and adaptability, the blue spruce is a favorite among do-it-yourself landscapers. With its flexibility and durability, a blue spruce makes an excellent addition to almost any landscaping project. Whether used as a windbreak, a privacy screen, or simply to add visual interest, the blue spruce’s striking blue-green needles and pyramid shape make it a standout choice. By understanding its growth requirements and proper planting techniques, homeowners can enjoy the beauty and benefits of this majestic tree for many years. Investing in a blue spruce not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of a property but also contributes to the local ecosystem by providing shelter and food for wildlife.
References
Blue Spruce: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_spruce
Blue Spruce Trees: http://www.trees-online.com/types_of_trees/blue_spruce.shtml
Colorado Blue Spruce: https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=923
Colorado Blue Spruce: http://www.treehelp.com/trees/spruce/spruce-types-colorado-blue.asp
Colorado Blue Spruce Facts: http://www.gardenguides.com/113610-colorado-blue-spruce.html
Evergreen Tree Planting Instructions: http://www.nurserymen.com/care-instructions/evergreen-tree-care.html
Tree Planting: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/treeptg.html
Image Credits
Landscaping Tips: Facts About and Planting Instructions for Blue Spruce Trees: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_pungens_18zz.jpg and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_Pungens_in_Poland.jpg
Colorado Blue Spruce: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Picea_pungens_tree.jpg
Blue Spruce in Winter: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Spruce_002.jpg
Blue Spruce Sapling: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014-12-24_13_30_05_Sapling_of_Blue_Spruce_cultivar_%27Mission_Blue%27_in_Ewing,_New_Jersey.JPG
Mature Blue Spruce: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue-spruce-196660.jpg