Colorado blue spruce                                                                                                  Norway spruce

The ColoradColorqdo blue spruceo blue spruce (Picea pungens) is native to the Norway spruce
western US. In the West, it can grow to over 100’, but usually does not reach these heights in the East. The tree is pyramidal but as it grows older it becomes more open, droopy, irregular in shape and the branches form a flat, horizontal spray. The needles are extremely sharp and the seeds are borne on cones (2-4”) which are shiny and cylindrical.

The Norway spruce (Picea abies) is native to Europe. Generally growing to 80’, it has drooping branches and large downward hanging cones (4-6”) which usually continue to hang on the tree for quite some time after releasing their winged seeds.

Sadly, both of these beautiful trees are affected by the Cytospora canker, which is a prevalent and destructive disease of these mature trees. The most noticeable symptoms are the browning and eventual death of the lower branches of older trees. Several of our mature spruces seem to be affected and may need to be removed in the future.

Sandy Neufeld