Plant Primer: Weeping blue spruce

Weeping blue spruce

Light: full sun

Height: 2-6 feet

Spread: 4-10 feet

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7

Origin: Cultivar found in Europe of a North American native

One of the most interesting evergreens is the weeping blue spruce (Picea pungens  'Pendula'). This cultivar of the native Colorado blue spruce was a selected seedling grown in a tree nursery in the Netherlands.

The weeping tree has stiff, silvery-blue 1½-inch-long needles. The needles surround the branches like a bottle brush.  

Weeping blue spruce is an evergreen, with the bluest needles being the youngest ones, which eventually fade into a silvery-green.

The 'Pendula' variety is a dwarf weeping tree that will take on different appearances based on how it is trained. If staked, the spruce will grow only as tall at the stake and its branches will weep downward, creating a lovely garden accent.

If left unstaked, this weeper will stretch and roll along the ground, producing an interesting textured groundcover.

Wander out to the Crane Ornamental Grass and Conifer Collection at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to experience the beauty of the weeping blue spruce.

— Barbara Arnold

Franklin Park Conservatory