The Colorado Spruce

The Colorado Spruce is originally native to the Western United States and prefers to grow at higher, cooler elevations. The first recorded discovery of the Colorado Spruce was in 1862 in the Rockies, thus giving it the name the Colorado Spruce.

This tree provides a plethora of ecosystem benefits starting with the exceptional winter coverage they provide for larger game like deer and elk along with full winter shelter for smaller game like squirrels. These trees also provide a huge amount of shade in the summer because of how tall they can get.

Colorado Spruces are also commonly used as windbreaks because of their size and root strength, which in turn helps slow winds and soil erosion. They are also used as an additive to the tree canopy in places that have higher elevation because of their large size and relatively easy maintenance.

Most Colorado Spruces planted peak at around 30-50 feet in height, but this only applies to trees palnted since the original discovery in 1862. In nature, some Colorado Spruces have been found in excess of 120 feet. Due to Colorado Spruces having weak and brittle bark, their timber is avoided in the logging industry. The sap that Colorado Spruces produce is not too different from most other spruces and because of this, Colorado Spruces are not sought after for sap extraction and are typically left completely alone.

The Colorado Spruce is typically a green pine needle that shows hints of blue and silver year round. They are typically the brightest green around Feburary, right as spring starts. The tree requires at least 6 hours of sunlight a day in order to maintain its health and because of this, it is recommended to plant them in open areas or next to other trees that won't block and steal sunlight from the spruce.

Colorado Spruce's are typically some of the easiest trees to care for, but there are a few things that can hugely impact their health. The first of these issues is an infectious needle disease caused by the fungus Rhizophaera. The disease is usually first evident on the lower branches and then gradually works its way towards the crown of the tree. An indicator of this disease is the needles turning a purple or brown color and then falling from the tree.

Another common problem affecting Colorado Spruce trees is the Cytospora Canker. These cankers typcially appear on older trees and on trees that were planted in poor locations with less access to nutrients, water, and sunlight. These cankers can also form on trees weakened by environmental stresses, such as drought, freeze injury, or high tempuratures. An easy indicator of a Cytospora Canker is scattered dieback on the tree and a sticky white sap that the tree produces in order to combat the infection caused by the canker.

As this tree is extremely popular for use as a christmas tree across the country, there is quite a bit of conservation effort focused around the Colorado Spruce. Organizations like the US Forest Service have policies in place around the planting, maintanence, and removal of Colorado Spruces if needed. Due to the spruce's popularity as the national christmas tree, there are a lot of them grown unnaturaly nationwide to provide a large christmas tree market every year.

Sources

Botanist, A Wandering. “Plant Story--the Stately Colorado Blue Spruce.” Plant Story--The Stately Colorado Blue Spruce, 1 Jan. 1970, http://khkeeler.blogspot.com/2020/12/plant-story-stately-colorado-blue-spruce.html.

“Colorado Blue Sprucepicea Pungens.” Colorado Blue Spruce Tree on the Tree Guide at Arborday.org, https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=923.

“Common Diseases of Blue Spruce.” Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/harrison/news/common-diseases-blue-spruce.

“Blue Spruce.” The Morton Arboretum, 27 May 2021, https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/blue-spruce/#! 

“Colorado Blue Spruce Tree Facts.” Arbor Hill Trees Omaha Blog, 27 July 2017, https://arborhilltrees.com/blog/colorado-blue-spruce-tree-omaha/.