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Spruces

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Spruces have sharp and prickly needles. I have four types at present. White, Colorado, Serbian and Meyers, sometimes called Chinese Blue.

White spruce is the native spruce. With fertilizer and water it will grow 2-3 feet a year. Looks a bit gangly when it grows that fast. Don't worry, it will fill out with age.

Colorado spruce is the common species name for blue spruce. The blue color is caused by tiny beads of resin on the needles. More beads = lighter colour. Smaller beads = bluer colour. Lots of tiny beads = blue white.

Colorado's have a huge variation in color, ranging from chartreuse to a deep green, to a variety of blues. For this reason, if you are going to plant a row, buy a named cultivar. You are much more likely to get a set that are close in colour. (To some degree colour is determined by environmental conditions. If you want exact matches, buy a container load of artificial Christmas trees, and paint them the colour you want.)

Colorado's grow slowly, typically only half the speed of white spruce. This makes them more full as young trees, but it will take them much longer to become imposing and elegant.

Serbian spruce is somewhat narrower, with graceful curving branches. It's also a bit darker than our native spruce. Intermediate in grow rate between Colorado and white spruce

Meyer's Spruce is sometimes called Chinese blue. It's not really blue, but it is a very dark green. The needles tend to be short, only about a centimetre or just under half an inch. They are also very even in length. As a young tree this gives it a very formal air.

If Meyer's spruce were people, they'd be the ones to wear a tie to work on casual Friday.