Colorado Blue Spruce Description

Size and Form

• A 120-foot tall specimen of Colorado blue spruce is possible in a wild setting, but the cultivated forms are smaller, making them a candidate for most landscapes. Heights between 30 and 60 feet are average for this species. The spread of branches covers between 10 and 20 feet. The limbs grow outward horizontally and are quite stiff. The tree has a narrow, cone shape and because the branches typically grow down the length of the trunk, you rarely find one with its trunk exposed.

Needles

• Despite the tree's name, not all of them have a bluish tint to their needles. The color varies, with the amount of a waxy covering on the needles being the difference between a tree with a bluish color and one that is simply green. The evergreen needles grow outward from the twig and they are sharp. More develop on the upper sides of the stems rather than the undersides. Four-sided in a cross-section view, the rigid needles grow to as long as 1 1/4 inches.

Cones and Bark

• The spruces feature pendant (hanging) cones as opposed to the firs, which have cones that grow upright on the branches. Those of the Colorado blue spruce are an inch in width, up to 5 inches long and pointed at both ends. The cones are a shade of violet when they first develop, but age to a brownish tint over time. Blue spruce bark is brownish-gray in color and has a flaky texture.

Blue Spruce Cultivars

• "Hoopsii" is a 30-foot tall cultivar of the Colorado blue spruce with a reputation for having the bluest needles of any of its forms, according to the Washington State University Clark County Extension. Its narrow shape -- only 5 feet wide -- makes it appropriate for small yards. "Blue Pearl" is a rounded, 5-foot tall shrub form with vivid blue-green foliage. Silvery-blue needles and a pyramidal shape are features of "Baby Blue Eyes." Growing to 30 feet, but at a rate of about 3 inches each year, this cultivar is 15 feet wide. "Sester's Dwarf" only grows to 8 feet as a dwarf version of the blue spruce.