"Blue Spruce"

Picea pungens

Pine family (Pinaceae)

• Called "blue" because of its dramatic silvery, blue foliage
• It is blue due to the fine, white powder on the surface which can be wiped off...this is why older trees look less blue as they age....rainwater washes off the powder
• Needles are about one and a quarter inch long and occur singly
• Needles are prickly
• Evergreen
• Occurs naturally in the Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico region (it is the state tree of both Utah and Colorado)
• Grows slowly....taking 300 years to get 90 feet tall
• Is often used as a cut Christmas tree because of its perfect pyramid shape

Blue Spruce (comes with Christmas music!)

Spruce Fact Sheet

The Colorado State Tree

A photo