Tuesday, 8:00 AM. 3 degrees, wind SW, calm. Skies overcast, and 2” of snow fell last night. The barometer predicts sunny weather.The smaller of the two Colorado blue spruce trees, Picea pungens glauca, pictured here is a good example of the growth habit of a young tree of the species. This one is ‘Hoopsii’, perhaps one of the best of the named varieties. Named varieties are asexually propagated, guaranteeing their color and growth habit. The large tree is also a Colorado blue spruce, the species in nature producing both blue and green or intermediate coloration in seedlings, this one obviously selected for its bluish color when young.
The Colorado spruce, of whatever needle coloration, is certainly often over-planted, and since the trees can attain considerable size, they may look cute to begin with but may soon be out of scale in the landscape. That said, the Colorado spruce, whatever its needle coloration, is hardy, tolerates clay and other soils well, and can be a beautiful specimen in the landscape. It has a few pest and disease problems but is no worse in that regard than many other trees. Just be sure of what you are getting if buying a “blue spruce.”
No comments:
Post a Comment