Colorado Blue: Spruce
Picea pungens glauca
Colorado Blue: Spruce (Picea pungens glauca) is a Colorado-native tree suited to the Colorado Front Range, rated "Recommended" on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List. It matures to about 15–50 ft tall and 10–25 ft wide, slow-growing, needs medium to high water, and prefers full sun to partial shade. Very overplanted here; prone to needlecast and Cytospora canker in crowded spots.
Colorado nativemedium to high water15–50 ft tall and 10–25 ft wideDeer-resistant
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At a glance
- Rating
- Recommended
- Botanical name
- Picea pungens glauca
- Variety / cultivar
- Colorado Blue: BABY BLUE®, Baby Blue Eyes, Bakeri, Fastigiata, Fat Albert, Hoopsi, Colorado Weeping, Sester Dwarf
- Type
- Tree
- Mature size
- 15–50 ft tall and 10–25 ft wide
- Mature form
- Pyramidal
- Spacing / clearance
- ~25 ft of clearance
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 2–7
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Lifespan
- Long-lived
- Water needs
- medium to high water
- Sun
- Best in full sun; tolerates partial shade.
- Colorado native
- Yes
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Soil
- clay, loam, sandy
- Soil pH
- 6.0–8.2
- Hail tolerance
- high
- Wind tolerance
- high
- Salt tolerance
- low
- Pollinator value
- low
- Tolerates
- Cool north foundations
Site factors to consider
- Critical: Cold HardinessThe average low suits it fine; our real cold risk is the swings, late frosts, and intense winter sun, so wrap young trunks and give it shelter.
- Critical: Salt ToleranceIt has low salt tolerance, so keep it back from de-iced sidewalks, roadsides, and softener runoff, where salt burns roots and leaf edges.
Wildlife & ecology
- Pollinator value
- low
- Deer
- Generally deer-resistant
- Native ecoregion
- montane, riparian
Common problems on the Front Range
- Spruce ips beetle in stressed trees
- Spruce spider mite on hot, dry sites
- Cytospora canker on lower branches
These are general tendencies for this group of plants on the Front Range, not a diagnosis. Many are stress-driven and preventable with good siting and watering. For a specific plant or an active problem, consult a certified arborist or your local CSU Extension office.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Colorado Blue: Spruce good for the Colorado Front Range?
- Yes, Colorado Blue: Spruce is a well-suited tree for Colorado's Front Range, rated "Recommended" on the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List.
- How big does Colorado Blue: Spruce get?
- It matures to about 15–50 ft tall and 10–25 ft wide.
- How much room does Colorado Blue: Spruce need?
- Give Colorado Blue: Spruce about 25 ft of clearance from buildings, fences, and other trees so the mature canopy isn't crowded.
- What shape does Colorado Blue: Spruce grow into?
- Colorado Blue: Spruce typically grows into a pyramidal, conical outline that is widest at the base. This is the species' usual mature form, named cultivars (columnar, weeping, or compact selections) can differ, so check the specific cultivar.
- Is Colorado Blue: Spruce hardy on the Front Range?
- Colorado Blue: Spruce is hardy in USDA 2–7. The Colorado Front Range spans roughly USDA 4b–6a, so it is well within range. That said, it carries a cold-hardiness caution: The average low suits it fine; our real cold risk is the swings, late frosts, and intense winter sun, so wrap young trunks and give it shelter.
- How much water does Colorado Blue: Spruce need?
- It needs medium to high water once established.
- How fast does Colorado Blue: Spruce grow?
- Colorado Blue: Spruce is a slow-growing tree. Growth rate depends on water and site conditions on the Front Range.
- How long does Colorado Blue: Spruce live?
- Colorado Blue: Spruce is long-lived, a multi-generational tree given good siting and care. Actual lifespan varies with site, water, and care.
- Is Colorado Blue: Spruce native to Colorado?
- Yes. It is a Colorado native.
- Is Colorado Blue: Spruce deer-resistant?
- Colorado Blue: Spruce is generally considered deer-resistant, though no plant is deer-proof when browse pressure is high.
- Is Colorado Blue: Spruce prone to pests or disease on the Front Range?
- Colorado Blue: Spruce can be affected by spruce ips beetle in stressed trees and other issues common to this group on the Front Range. These are general tendencies, not a diagnosis, many are stress-driven and preventable with good siting and watering. For a specific plant or an active problem, consult a certified arborist or CSU Extension.
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See also
Related trees
Spruce, Norway: Cupressina
Picea abies
Spruce, Engleman Spruce
Picea engelmannii
Spruce, Black Hills 'Densata', 'Wiskey Blue Hills'
Picea glauca
Spruce, Serbian
Picea omorika
Spruce, Colorado
Picea pungens
Maple, Norway: Columnare, Crimson King, Crimson Sentry, Deborah, EMERALD LUSTER®, Emerald Queen, Fairview, Royal Red
Acer platanoides