How do you tell if a tree is a blue spruce?
Identifying features of Blue Spruce They are stiff and sharp. The needles are so stiff and sharp it can be painful to grasp a twig of needles firmly. Like all spruce needles they are single and square in cross-section (four-sided); you can roll them between thumb and forefinger, unlike flat fir needles.
Is blue spruce a good tree?
With its flexibility and excellent durability, blue spruce makes an excellent addition to almost any landscaping project. Blue spruces, when planted in a row, also do a great job of offering privacy, owing to their structure. They also withstand harsh winds due to their deep root system.
Are blue spruce trees fast growing?
Growth Rate This tree grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12" to 24" per year.
How tall will a blue spruce get?
Mature Size. The Colorado blue spruce grows to a height of 50–75' and a spread of 10–20' at maturity.
What is the lifespan of a blue spruce?
Growth and Yield- Blue spruce is apparently a long-lived tree, surviving up to 600 years or more. Diameter growth is slow; trees 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) in d.b.h. may be 125 to 135 years old; at 46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 in), they may be 275 to 350 years of age (84).
Where do blue spruce trees grow best?
The Colorado blue spruce is native to the central and southern Rocky Mountains, where it is often found growing at high altitudes. This region receives most of its rainfall during the summer, with relatively dry winters.
Do blue spruce trees have deep roots?
According to the U.S. Forest Service, blue spruce trees develop shallow roots after seed germinate, perhaps only 2 to 3 inches deep. This reveals that this tree species grows with a spreading, shallow root system.
When should you plant blue spruce trees?
You can plant spruce year-round in mild climates, but if you live in an area with harsh winters and frosts, it's best to plant this tree during the late winter or early spring (late February through April), when it's dormant.
Can you keep a blue spruce small?
Typical Blue spruce trees grow 12 inches or less per year. To keep your blue spruce tree small, you'll want to prune the tree each year during the late winter/early spring. You can also choose a small blue spruce variety, like the baby blue eyes spruce, which grows 2-3 inches per year.
What is the fastest growing tree for privacy?
What are the fastest-growing trees for privacy? Hybrid poplar tops the list. It can grow upwards of five feet per year. The Leyland cypress, green giant arborvitae, and silver maple are all close seconds because they add about two feet to their height each year.
How long does it take a blue spruce to grow?
The Colorado blue spruce grows at a slow to medium rate, according to the Arbor Day Foundation, although it picks up a bit as it gets older. This blue spruce grows from 12 to 24 inches a year. So it will require 30 to 60 years for a Colorado blue spruce to grow from seed to 60 feet tall.
How close to the house can I plant a blue spruce?
I would plant this particular tree species at least 20-25' away from your house as it is my experience that most homeowners and landscapers tend to plant trees way too close to structures.
Is blue spruce good for anything?
Uses: The Colorado blue spruce is most commonly used for windbreaks throughout the country. The thickness of the trees reduces wind velocities and can reduce soil erosion greatly. The Colorado blue spruce is not used to make lumber because of its knotty wood and weakness compared to other trees used for lumber.
Is blue spruce invasive?
On a more serious note, this species has shown invasive character over the past few decades. While most cultivars are sterile, cross-pollination between the many commonly planted varieties has created fertile fruits. In open, sunny and unmowed areas the fruits, being spread by birds, pop up all over the place.
Do blue spruce trees have invasive roots?
According to the U.S. Forest Service, blue spruce trees develop shallow roots after seed germinate, perhaps only 2 to 3 inches deep. This reveals that this tree species grows with a spreading, shallow root system.
What are blue spruce good for?
Christmas treesColorado blue spruce, or blue spruce, is an attractive tree often used for Christmas trees or as ornamentals, particularly in the eastern United States and Europe. It is the official state tree of both Colorado and Utah. The species generally reaches a height of 65-115 feet at maturity with a diameter of 2-3 feet.
What is a Colorado blue spruce?
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) is a beautiful native American conifer. This extremely rustic silvery blue tree reaches the height of 9 – 21 m (30-70 ft) in its region of origin. Nice bluish green color, accentuated by the sharply pointed foliage makes it a perfect conifer for open landscapes and large backyards. Dwarf forms of blue spruce are also available that reaches only between 1.5 to 4.5 m (5-15 ft) tall and are suitable for small gardens, patios, and terraces.
How long does it take for a blue spruce tree to germinate?
These cones drop their seeds in spring. Blue spruce seeds require a considerable period of light to germinate: 14 to 16 hours per day. If the length of light falls below 12 hours a day, they become dormant.
What causes needle cast on blue spruce?
Use a magnifying glass to examine the needles of your blue spruce for signs of Rhizosphaera needle cast (Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii), a fungus that causes needle cast disease . It pushes through the stomata of the affected needles and looks like fuzzy black spots.
How tall is a spruce tree?
Albert gets to be about 10 to 15 feet (3 to 5m) tall after 10 years in the landscape, and true to its name, is wide at the base.
What is the name of the spruce tree that grows in the summer?
Picea orientalis 'Skylands' is another oriental spruce tree; its distinctive feature is its lovely golden foliage. 'Skylands' should be protected from hot afternoon sun on summer's longest days or it will burn. If 'Skylands' gets too big for your garden, there is a select "Skylands seedling" called 'Firefly' that displays the same golden foliage, but grows more slowly and stays smaller.
What is the name of the spruce that has a red needle?
It originated as a witch's broom (bud mutation) on Picea abies 'Acrocona', another lovely spruce. Some Norway spruce cultivars even have red needles! The new growth on Picea abies 'Rubra Spicata' is rosy and then matures to green: Picea abies 'Rubra Spicata'. There are also many weeping Norway spruces.
How to tell if a fir tree is a spruce or a fir?
The easiest ways to distinguish spruces from firs is the way mature seed cones are held in the tree. In spruces ( Picea species) mature seed cones hang from the branches and will fall intact from tree while in firs ( Abies species), mature cones are held upright on the branches and will disintegrate rather than falling intact.
How many needles are there in a pine tree?
Needles are also a distinguishing factor. Pine ( Pinus species) needles grow in bundles (fascicles) of 1 to 5 needles, while spruces and firs are attached singly. Those with sharp eyesight will also notice that spruce needles are attached to a branch by a tiny peg (pulvinus), while fir needles are attached directly to the stem with what appears to be some sort of suction cup.
How tall is Picea orientalis?
The Picea orientalis 'Early Gold' pictured above, for example, is about 6 feet (2 m) tall after 10 years, has orderly, delicate needles and attractive, slightly weeping branches. And those seed cones!
What is the most common spruce tree?
Norway Spruce. Another very common spruce is the Norway spruce, or Picea abies. In nature, these trees are very large, with very dark green needles on gracefully weeping branches. But cultivars for the garden abound; this may be the most prolific spruce there is!
How tall is a blue spruce tree?
The trees in nature can reach impressive heights; it is not uncommon to find individuals that are over 100' tall, with trunks 5' or so in diameter.
Where do blue spruce trees grow?
How to Grow Blue Spruce Successfully. To recap, blue spruce are only native to the mountain west, they generally occur at higher elevations, they prefer a cool climate with wet summers and are extremely susceptible to fungal diseases in cultivation outside of their native range.
What causes blue spruce to die?
By far the most common complaint of cultivated blue spruces is needle cast disease, mostly that caused by the fungus Rhizospaera kalkhoffii. It infects young needles and overwinters on living or recently killed foliage. During the growing season, the spores spread to other branches, or other trees, by splashing water. Warm temperatures (high 70's) exacerbate the needle infection. The disease generally presents as it does in the above photo, with the older needles dropping off first. There are other pathogens that can cause needles to die and drop off, but Rhizospaera is the most common, followed by Stigmina/Mycosphaerella.
How long does a Picea pungens tree live?
It is a relatively slow-growing tree, as wild trees go, but it is long-lived (many reach 600-800 years). Picea pungens does best in cool climates with regular, short bursts of summer rainfall, conditions that are difficult to duplicate outside its native, mountainous, range.
Why are blue spruce trees so popular?
It is also likely responsible for most dislike of conifers! Why? Because species Colorado spruce trees were heavily planted in new residential communities in the early to mid-20th Century, and most, if not all, were planted with no regard for their ultimate size or whether they were climate-appropriate. While it may be an urban legend, it is said that a blue spruce in the 1930s and 1940s was a status symbol, widely proclaiming that the homeowner had 'arrived'! Even a 'slow growing' tree can outgrow its garden location!
What is the name of the plant that has a clear, powder blue needle?
In the background, Picea pungens 'Fat Albert' draws the eye and provides soft, elegant contrast to the green foliage around it. In front, the cultivar 'Lucretia', has clear, powder-blue needles and a more random growth habit.
Why are spruces blue?
The blue coloring is due to a waxy substance on the leaf surface that protects the tree from desiccation and harmful UV light.The more wax, the bluer the needles.
Where are spruce trees found?
Spruce is any of the large, coniferous tree species belonging to the genus Picea of the family Pinaceae, distributed across the temperate and boreal regions in the Northern Hemisphere. These trees can be identified by the four-sided needles and the cones that hang downwards after pollination.
When do spruce needles fall off?
Spruce needles fall off when the tree is 4-10 years old. However, the peg-like structures (called sterigmata or pulvini) on the branches are retained, making them rough.
How many species are there in the Picea genus?
The Picea genus includes thirty-five extant species, out of which the Brewer’s spruce has a basal position, after that come the Sitka spruce, and then the other species. All these species are classified into three clades, as given below.
What is the source of vitamin C in spruce?
As pulpwood for making paper, building wood, tonewood for mandolins, guitars, violins, pianos, and cellos, ornamental Christmas trees; shoots are the source of vitamin C, for making spruce beer from branches and leaves. IUCN Conservation Status.
What color are female cones?
Female Cones: Drooping, ovoid or cylindrical, green to purple when young, pale to dark brown when matured
What do spruce needles look like?
When the needles fall from the tree, these pegs are left behind, giving the branches a rough feel. The pegs look like little three-dimensional dots along the surface of the branch.
Where does a black spruce grow?
The Black Spruce typically grows in bogs and swamps, which is why it is also referred to as the Bog Spruce. The Red Spruce is often found in cool forests alongside other conifers. The White Spruce tends to grow in moist acidic soil around rivers or streams and often grows around other coniferous hardwood trees.
What is the difference between a spruce tree and a fir tree?
Look at the shape of the branches. Spruce trees are bushy and full, and have upturned branches. Fir trees, on the other hand, have downturned branches, making them easily distinguishable. Pine trees also have upturned branches but they have fewer branches which makes them look slightly sparser than spruce trees.
How to tell if a spruce tree is fir or pine?
Before trying to narrow down the species of spruce tree, first make sure that you are not looking at a fir or pine. Examining the needles of the trees is the easiest way to make the distinction between them. The needles of a spruce tree are attached individually to its branches, as opposed to being in clusters. They also have four sides and roll easily between your fingers.
How long are the needles on a Colorado spruce tree?
The Colorado Spruce has blue or blue-silver needles that are quite sharp and are ¾ to 1 ½ inches long.
How long are Colorado spruce needles?
The Colorado Spruce has blue or blue-silver needles that are quite sharp and are ¾ to 1 ½ inches long.
How many species of spruce trees are there?
Spruce trees are robust evergreen trees that grow in cooler climates and are often used as Christmas trees during the holiday season. There are about 40 species of spruce trees worldwide, with several including the Colorado Spruce and the Norway Spruce being the most common.
What zone do blue spruce trees grow in?
These trees, if planted in a row offer perfect privacy. The tree can grow from USDA zones 1 to 7. Let’s see what’s bothering your Blue spruce and how to fix it!
Why do Blue Spruce needles turn brown?
Blue Spruce needles turn brown due to Cytospora canker disease. Blue Spruce needles also turn brown when the tree is infected by Rhizosphaera needle cast. Stigmina needle cast disease also causes the same damage to the victim plant.
Why is my Blue Spruce yellowing?
Blue Spruce turns yellow when it gets more water than needed. The roots get stressed when the Blue Spruce is overwatered. Blue Spruce also turns yellow in the initial stages of needle cast disease.
What is the disease that can be found on a blue spruce tree?
Rhizosphaera and Stigmina are both different types of fungi that can infect the Blue Spruce tree. Microscopic diagnosis is the only way to differentiate these diseases.
How long does it take for a blue spruce to recover from needle cast disease?
Infected Blue Spruce takes up to 2 years to recover from needle cast disease. Severely infected trees take even more time to recover.
Why does my blue spruce tree die?
The Blue Spruce tree dies from the bottom up when it’s infected by Cytospera canker disease. This is a fungal disease.
Why are blue spruce trees prone to needle cast diseases?
Blue Spruce trees that are stressed from drought, poor planting practices, or other improper care practices are more prone to needle cast diseases.
What is blue spruce?
Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 8, blue spruce is deeply rooted in traditional holiday iconography. The ornamental evergreen’s exceptional height, distinctive needles and celebrated conical shape make it a popular pick as a focal point, living privacy screen and seasonal must-have. While easily recognized and highly revered, ...
Why do blue spruce trees have white sap?
Carefully inspect the blue spruce’s lower branches. If they are bare, contain brown needles or are covered with sticky white sap, the tree is likely infected with Cytospora canker. Older trees are more prone to the fungus, though extreme heat, dehydration and freezing can also trigger an onset. Severely diseased blue spruces develop dead tissue cankers on their trunks as the infection moves from the outer branches to the middle of the tree.
Why do blue spruce branches turn pink?
If the tree is infected with Phomopsis tip blight, you'll see cankers in the areas exposed by the knife. Caused by the fungus Phomopsis occulta, the disease attacks new shoots, leading the tips to curl, turn pink and then brown before the needles fall to the ground.
What is the name of the tree that has dead needles?
Examine the blue spruce for clumps of dead needles. If the needles are reddish-brown and connected by a web, the tree may be infected by the spruce needleminer. Adults resemble moths and lay eggs on the needles. The larvae feed on the needles, causing discoloration, entrance and exit holes and premature dropping.
What is the problem with a blue spruce tree?
The bugs feed on bark tissue, needles and twigs. An infestation will cause the tree’s upper branches to wilt, brown and curl into a shape resembling a shepherd’s crook.
What is the disease that causes a blue spruce to have black spots?
The appearance of small black spots, premature needle loss and a thinning canopy can be signs of Rhizosphaera needle cast. The infectious fungal disease starts near the base of the tree and spreads upward. A seriously sick blue spruce has purple or brown needles, dead branches and bald spots. 3.
How to check for dead tissue on blue spruce?
2. Use a magnifying glass to check the blue spruce’s needles.
