The mountains of Colorado kept an arboreal secret for centuries until botanists identified a variety of blue spruce unique to the Rocky Mountains in 1862. Today, the Colorado blue spruce is one of the most popular ornamental and landscape conifer trees in North America. It’s also the official state tree of Colorado.
Universally praised for its silvery-blue foliage and symmetrical conical shape, the versatile Colorado blue spruce is widely planted as an ornamental tree as well as for privacy screens and as a windbreak. Commercially planted trees are also among the most sought-after Christmas trees.
What makes the Colorado blue spruce so popular is a near-perfect combination of beauty, adaptability and longevity. Its inch-long needles are a unique silver-blue year-round and grow on dense branches that taper evenly toward a pointed crown. This makes it an ideal tree for privacy screening, and its wide-spreading, relatively deep root system gives it a strong anchor as a windbreak. It has light brown 3-4-inch cones that hang downward in the tree’s upper crown. It also provides food and shelter for several species of songbirds.
The Colorado blue spruce is an evergreen tree that can grow to a height of 50-75 feet at a rate of 12-24 inches per year, reaching a spread of 10-20 feet at maturity. It’s hardy in a wide range of climates, from hard freezes typical of USDA Zone 2 to the hot summers of Zone 7.
It grows well in most types of soils, requires little or no irrigation, and tolerates both droughts and flooding well. While full sun is preferable, it will do well with a minimum of six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight daily.
The Colorado blue spruce has gained praise from arborists, botanists, and landscapers throughout North America, and Colorado can be proud to have such a magnificent tree as its state symbol.
Properly chosen and maintained trees are an important investment that can add considerable value to both residential and commercial property. Donovan Arborists offers planting, pruning, and shearing services for Colorado blue spruce and other trees and shrubs as well as a complete landscape maintenance package for property in the Denver area.
We’re always happy to give free estimates to homeowners and property managers for any services they may need.