Colson's Select Colorado Spruce

Colson's Select Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens 'Colson's Select')

Colson's Select Colorado Spruce brings strong blue to blue-green color and a classic evergreen silhouette that keeps the landscape looking finished in every season. It is a reliable choice when you want year-round structure, winter presence, and a crisp backdrop that makes surrounding plantings look more intentional. The dense, pyramidal habit works well in both formal layouts and more natural designs, depending on how you space and pair it. With good drainage and steady moisture while it establishes, it settles into a long-lived landscape anchor.

Distinctive Features

This selection of Colorado spruce is grown for its consistent needle color, stiff branching, and naturally conical to pyramidal form. Needles are sharp and typically show blue to silvery blue tones that hold visual impact through winter. As it matures, it can produce tan to light brown cones that add subtle seasonal detail without changing the clean overall look. Expect a medium to large evergreen over time, commonly reaching about 30 to 50 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide in landscapes, with growth rate influenced by site and climate.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun is best for strongest color and dense branching.
• Soil: Plant in well-drained soil, and it tolerates many soil types as long as drainage is reliable.
• Water: Water regularly during establishment, then water deeply during extended drought to reduce stress.
• USDA Zones: Generally hardy in zones 3 to 7.
• Drainage: Avoid persistently wet sites to support root health and long-term needle quality.
• Airflow: Provide spacing and airflow to help foliage dry after rain and reduce stress in humid periods.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use the blue foliage and formal pyramid shape as a standout evergreen statement in a front yard bed or prominent corner.
• Screening: Plant in staggered rows to create a dense, year-round privacy buffer with strong winter presence.
• Windbreak: Group along exposed edges to add evergreen shelter and structure on open sites.
• Specimen Tree: Feature as a single conifer where its color can contrast with green shrubs and flowering perennials.
• Evergreen Backbone: Use as a permanent framework tree to anchor mixed borders and keep the landscape looking intentional in winter.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Deep water through the first growing season and during drought to prevent stress.
• Mulching: Mulch over the root zone to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature, keeping mulch off the trunk.
• Pruning: Prune only to remove dead or damaged branches, since the natural shape typically stays clean.
• Fertilizing: Fertilize lightly in early spring only if needed, using a slow-release fertilizer formulated for evergreens.
• Monitoring: Watch for spider mites during hot, dry weather and address early if needles begin to dull or stipple.
• Site Care: Limit deicing salt splash and reflected heat where possible to help protect needles year-round.

Why Choose Colson's Select Colorado Spruce?

• Blue Color: Blue to silvery blue needles add crisp contrast and four-season appeal.
• Strong Structure: A conical habit provides reliable winter presence and clean bed lines.
• Privacy Value: Dense branching supports screening and wind buffering as the tree matures.
• Cold Hardiness: Reliable performance in colder climates makes it a durable long-term investment.
• Classic Versatility: Works as a specimen, screen component, or evergreen backbone in many landscape styles.

If you want an evergreen that looks composed year-round and delivers lasting structure, Colson's Select Colorado Spruce is a strong choice. Plant it in full sun with good drainage, keep moisture consistent while it establishes, and give it room to mature into a substantial form. Over time it becomes a dependable backdrop that elevates the rest of the planting in every season.