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Woody > Picea > Picea pungens > Picea pungens 'The Blues'

Picea pungens

'The Blues'


The Blues Colorado Blue Spruce




Origin:  The straight species is a North American Native tree. The creator of this cultivar is Larry Stanley of Stanley & Sons Nursery (Now Blue Mountain Nursery), Boring, Oregon.
Family
Pinaceae
Genus
Picea
Species
pungens
Cultivar
'The Blues'
Category
Woody
Type
Tree (evergreen)
USDA Hardiness Zone
3a - 8b
Canadian Hardiness Zone
1b - 8a
RHS Hardiness Zone
H5 - H7
Temperature (°C)
(-39.9) - (-9.4)
Temperature (°F)
(-40) - 15
Height
1.5 - 2 m
Spread
1 - 1.5 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
AprilMay
General Description
Picea pungens ‘The Blues’ is a weeping cultivar of Colorado blue spruce. It has blue and silver hued foliage and can reach heights of 2 m and spread up to 1.5 m.
Landscape
‘The Blues’ makes an excellent specimen plant in any coniferous garden. This spruce must be staked at the desired height of its owner before letting it weep and mound. It can also be trained to become a bonsai or shaped as an accent tree. Due to its informal growth habits, it wouldn’t be well suited in a garden designed to be studious and uniform.
Cultivation
This spruce should be kept in a neutral to slightly acidic, well drained and moist soil. It is tolerant of salt, drought, and shade but should be given full sun.
Shape
This weeping Colorado spruce forms in a weeping/mounding/arching way, after being staked. Not much pruning is required other than removing die-back, but it can be trained into a desired shape.
Growth
Slow
ID Characteristic
‘The Blues’ is easily identified by its vibrant hue of blue and silver and by the droopy, depressed foliage. The height of the spruce is also below 2 m, adding to its ease of identification.
Pests
Small issues with Crown Gall and White Pine Weevil. Potential for Diplodia and Phomopsis becoming more common in and around the Michigan area.
Habitat
Horticultural origin.
Bark/Stem Description
Rough, deep grooved, thick grey bark. Slight purple hue. New stem growth is slightly orange-brown.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
Non-flowering cultivar.
Leaf Description
Whorled, sharp, squared, and stiff.
Flower Description
This cultivar is sterile.
Colour Description
Blueish silver foliage. Grey bark with a brown-purple tinge. New stems grow with a brownish orange tinge.
Texture Description
Rough plated bark. Sharp, stiff, square needles.
Notable Specimens
Blue Mountain Nursery in Boring, Oregon, USA.
Propagation
Asexual propagation via grafting or softwood cuttings.
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