Create Your Garden

Blue Spruce

Picea pungens, commonly known as Blue Spruce or Colorado Blue Spruce,, is a superstar in the evergreen world—and not just because of its striking silvery-blue needles. This tree adds year-round color, charm, and character to gardens, landscapes, and festive displays.

State Pride: The Blue Spruce is the official state tree of Colorado. It was discovered in 1862 and quickly became a symbol of the Rocky Mountains’ wild beauty.

Color Matters: Its famous blue color isn’t guaranteed—needle color varies from green to powdery silver-blue depending on the tree, soil, and sunlight. Cultivars like ‘Hoopsii‘ are selected for the brightest blues.

Longevity: These trees can live up to 600–800 years in the wild! In landscapes, with proper care, they often thrive for 50–150 years.

Wildlife Hotel: Their dense branches provide cozy winter shelter for birds like nuthatches and crossbills, and the seeds inside cones feed small mammals.

Holiday Favorite: Its symmetrical form and stiff, ornament-holding branches make it a classic Christmas tree, though parents beware: those sharp needle tips can poke!

Resilient Beauty: Blue Spruce tolerates drought, cold, and air pollution, making it a hardy addition to winter-interest gardens and urban spaces alike.

Prickly Personality: The scientific name “pungens” means “sharp”—a nod to those spiny, saber-like needles.

Timber with Limits: While it’s beautiful, the wood isn’t prized for construction. It’s occasionally used for crates or pulp, but this tree’s real value is in the landscape.

Picea pungens, Colorado Blue Spruce, Blue Spruce
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