Other Names:  Blue Colorado Spruce;Colorado Blue Spruce

Description:

A highly desirable and popular dwarf blue spruce that grows very dense while retaining its distinctively conical shape; needles emerge a beautiful silver and retain a powdery-blue color throughout the season, an ideal choice for the garden designer

Ornamental Features

Thume Blue Spruce is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has attractive powder blue evergreen foliage which emerges silvery blue in spring. The needles are highly ornamental and remain powder blue throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Thume Blue Spruce is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Thume Blue Spruce is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Thume Blue Spruce will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.