Hi, Could somebody help me to identify this spruce? I'd like to plant one like this in my front-yard. The pictures were taken near Toronto. Please let me know if you need more info. Thank you, Alexandra.
Hi FunGarden: Your Spruce is a Picea pungens - Colorado Blue Spruce. The shape of the tree is deceiving in that it may have been sheared at one time or another. This tree looks like 'Hoopsii' to me by the slight upward growth on the tips of the branches and the overall color. Jim
Blue Spruce Hi all. Thank you Jim, What I really love about this tree is it’s regularly spaced upward branches. The real color of the tree is actually green, it’s only new branches that are blue. So it cannot be Hoopsii, as I know it has the best blue color around. I was thinking that it might be something of columnar variety? Here is the picture of another tree planted just across. As you can see, it’s not big and quite narrow. And it does need some pruning on one side. What else could it be? Alexandra.
Hi Alexandra: Most forms of 'Hoopsii' have the old, interior growth as being a green color and the new growth is the silvery blue. The whole tree is not blue by any means. In many respects the "book" terminology for coloration is not the same as the plants that we see in the nursery trade. In fact, many Hoopsii sold are the old Picea pungens 'Endtz' instead but it would probably take a taxonomist to figure out which variety is which as they are so close. Out in full sun the Hoopsii will retain the silvery blue color better than Endtz will. It does not matter which variety it is as if I was dead wrong others would already let me know but I have an advantage that they do not have and that is I've grown Hoopsii for 20 years and I also know what it looks like allover Oregon at various stages of the year. For all practical purposes naming the tree Picea pungens - Colorado Blue Spruce is good enough for now without having to pull hairs on which variety it may be. Your original first and second pics is right for how Hoopsii looks here for color. Jim
Thank you for information. I wanted to know the exact name of this tree because I wanted to plant one like this in my front yard. It wasn’t just for curiosity. There are so many different Blue Spruces. I have very limited space in my front yard; the tree cannot grow very wide, but it can be quite tall. And the Hoopsiies certainly fit this criteria. I just want my tree to look like the one on the picture. I went to look at Hoopsiies at the nursery. I guess it’s not the best time to look for the tree right now. The selection is very limited (only 1 tree!) and probably it will put too much stress on the tree to plant it in the middle of the summer. But I’ll keep looking, I still have time 'till fall. Or maybe I’m looking in the wrong places? Would anybody know where I can purchase this tree in GTA area in Ontario? Another thing. From your experience what is the best way to propagate this spruce? - Would it be grafting or seeding the seeds? - And which method will give better resemblance with the parent tree? - How many should I start if I only need one? - Where can I learn more about it? Any information will be greatly appreciated. Alexandra.
Hi Alexandra: Picea pungens 'Bakeri' grows much taller than it is wide in full sun. In deep shade the tree will grow much wider in comparison to when grown in full sun. One form that I like which you may want to see sometime is Picea pungens 'Iseli Foxtail', or in some nurseries it is called just Foxtail. That one is columnar in its growth, meaning it is taller than it is wide also. You can always carefully prune or shear to shape the tree if it gets too wide for the spot where you want it to stay. To be honest Hoopsii has better overall silvery blue color when it is young (less than 15 years of age), as when the tree gets older (15-25 years old) you will see more of the green coloration on the inside of it. If it were me, I would plant soon and baby the tree to get it to better adapt for the onset of cold. I like having plants in the ground during the Summer rather than wait until Fall to plant evergreens. Grafting is the preferred method to ensure offspring being the same as the parent. One thing to keep in mind is that many Colorado Blue Spruce are grafted onto Norway Spruce rootstock as I remember it. I've seen air-layering done also for propagation with success. Seeds are okay up to a point. You may grow some seedlings that exhibit characteristics close to the parent but in many cases the seedlings will not be nearly the same as the parent. As someone with a nurseryman’s background I would prefer someone buy a plant from a nursery that I do not know or may not ever come in contact with rather than advise someone to germinate seeds and grow seedlings on to achieve a particular plant that they are wanting. If you want a Hoopsii, Koster, Thomsen, Fat Albert to name a few then you will have to buy one that is already grafted. You may find a retail source for an air layered Blue Spruce but I find it unlikely. I may be guilty of being presumptuous but I’ve had people ask me before, many times, about germinating seeds as opposed to buying a grafted selection to save on money but after all is said and done, time wise, the home owner really does not accomplish much as Colorado Blue Spruce do not grow well on their own roots. Some trees do just fine but many other seedlings are not vigorous growing trees by any means. Considering the grafted Blue Spruce are relatively slow growers anyway I would recommend someone buy the tree that is grafted and is already around 8-10 years old rather than start from scratch and wait for a very long time hoping for a miracle. Sorry but that is how I tell it to everyone. Jim
Hi Alexandra: I cannot help you much with which nurseries in Canada to buy from. Below is a nice pic of Iseli Foxtail. http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.ns...5684d0072031a!OpenDocument&Highlight=0,spruce I think it will be wise for you to shop around and see the Spruce in person rather than to buy a plant sight unseen. I can and have gotten away with it buying plants blind but I do not recommend anyone doing that. It is always best to see the prospective plant in person. Then you can evaluate the color, the shape and the overall health of the plant. Personally, I do not think you can go wrong with any grafted named variety of Colorado Blue Spruce. If you see another variety and want to know more about its growth habit, let me know but I think forms such as Bakeri, Fat Albert, Hoopsi, Iseli Foxtail, Iseli Fastigiata and Thomsen will make nice shaped trees for you. The Thomsen would be the largest sized tree of the varieties listed above. So much depends on the growth habit and the color you are looking for. Yes, it is not an easy decision to try to pick just one variety for one specific spot so I would suggest you look around and see what is available and select the plant that you like the best, rather than have someone select the plant for you by buying from a mail order source. Take your time and wait as long as you want if need be to find the right plant for you. If a nursery only has one Hoopsii and the tree does not look good to you, wait for them to restock more next year or do what I've seen others do and that is tell the nursery people what you are looking for and mention to them their one plant that they have does not meet your planting criteria. Just tell them you would prefer one that is taller, wider or is fuller in its overall growth than the one they currently have in their nursery if they ask you what's the hang up. Jim
