Select Blue Colorado Spruce

Select Blue Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens 'Blue Select')

Select Blue Colorado Spruce delivers strong blue color and classic evergreen structure that holds the landscape together all year. Its naturally pyramidal form creates a clean backdrop for flowering shrubs and perennials while also building real privacy as it matures. The stiff, layered branching gives it a substantial, architectural look that stands up to winter weather and looks sharp from a distance. Plant it once, give it room, and let it become a long-term anchor with serious four-season value.

Distinctive Features

This Colorado spruce selection is prized for consistent blue to silver-blue needles and a uniform, pyramidal habit with sturdy, horizontal branching. The needle color typically holds well through winter, giving you dependable contrast when most landscapes fade. Like other spruces, it can produce hanging cones on mature trees, though foliage and form are the main show. Over time it commonly reaches about 40 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide, with growth rate influenced by site quality and moisture.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun for best color and dense branching.
• Soil: Well-drained soil is essential, and it adapts to many soil types when drainage is reliable.
• Water: Water regularly during establishment, then provide deep watering during extended dry periods.
• USDA Zones: Zones 3 to 7.
• Mature Size: About 40 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide over time.
• Habit: Upright, pyramidal evergreen tree with stiff, tiered branching.
• Notable Traits: Blue needle color and strong structure provide standout winter presence.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use as a bold focal point in a large bed or lawn area where the blue color and pyramidal form can be appreciated year-round.
• Privacy Screening: Plant in rows to create a dense evergreen screen with long-term coverage.
• Windbreak: Use in staggered plantings to reduce wind and protect more sensitive plantings and outdoor spaces.
• Evergreen Backdrop: Place behind seasonal color to make blooms and foliage stand out against blue needles.
• Property Definition: Establish a strong, evergreen boundary along back lines and wide side yards.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Deep water through the first one to two growing seasons to support strong rooting and reduce 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, and avoid heavy shaping that disrupts the natural pyramid.
• Fertilizing: Feed lightly in early spring only if growth is weak, using a slow-release fertilizer for evergreens.
• Spacing: Allow adequate room for mature width and airflow to support better needle retention and overall vigor.
• Monitoring: Watch for stress during hot, humid periods and address site and moisture issues early for best long-term appearance.

Why Choose Select Blue Colorado Spruce?

• Consistent Blue Color: Blue to silver-blue needles provide crisp contrast in every season.
• Classic Evergreen Form: A strong pyramidal silhouette brings structure and a finished look year-round.
• Screening Power: Mature size and dense branching support long-term privacy and wind protection.
• Winter Presence: Needle color and stiff branching keep the landscape looking intentional through winter.
• Practical Longevity: A durable, long-lived evergreen that becomes a dependable backbone for large landscapes.

If you want a blue evergreen with real scale and a clean, uniform outline, Select Blue Colorado Spruce is a strong choice. Give it full sun, good drainage, and steady moisture while it establishes, then let it mature into a substantial screen or specimen. Over time it becomes a reliable anchor that adds privacy, contrast, and four-season structure.