Picea glauca Sanders Blue - White Spruce

Picea glauca Sander's Blue is a dwarf form of white spruce. This evergreen plant gradually forms a narrow, conical bush, covered with dense and regular vegetation. Its young metallic blue-grey shoots emerge in spring, smothering the old green-blue foliage. Its foliage is composed of fine, short, and dense needles. It has a slow growth rate. It is perfect for rockeries, flower beds, and pots. It is a small, hardy conifer that appreciates the sun and ordinary, moist soil.

Picea glauca, also known as White Spruce or Glaucous Spruce, is an evergreen conifer belonging to the Pinaceae family, native to Canada. In its natural environment, it grows slowly. Its growth habit depends on its habitat, but it is usually conical or pyramid-shaped with a broad base. This tree can reach a height of 25m (82ft). This species is traditionally used for paper-making. It can live for many years (200 years and more).

The 'Sander's Blue' variety, derived from this species, is often assimilated to the 'Conica Blue' variety, derived from 'Conica'. It is an elegant small conifer with a compact, conical, narrow, and upright habit. The dense vegetation gives it a well-groomed topiary appearance without the need for pruning. Its growth is very slow. After 20 years, it will reach a height of 1m (3ft) with a width of 40cm (16in), sometimes a little more in cool and humid climates. When mature, it will reach a height of 3m (10ft) and a width of 1.5m (5ft) at the base. It produces short, very dense, staggered, and highly hierarchical branches, covered with short, quadrangular needles arranged in brushes, which are very sharp and aromatic (acrid resin smell). They are covered with a white wax. Its spring shoots are a very bright steel blue, then its foliage takes on a uniformly blue-green colour, variable depending on the plants. Its root system is shallow, highly branched, and creeping, which makes it difficult to transplant when mature and particularly sensitive to wind.

With its perfect habit, limited growth, undemanding nature, and easy cultivation, it is perfect for rockeries, terraces, or for isolated planting. It thrives in many situations, under various climates, as long as the soil is moist, well-drained, and not too chalky. This plant goes well with large stones, geometric lines, and masonry works. It can be planted with other conifers whose sculptural qualities naturally suit the design of a contemporary garden. With their reassuring permanence, these plants durably structure a bed. They can mark pathways, and border terraces, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. They pair well with heathers or ground cover plants such as aubrietas, cerastiums, shrubby salvias, as well as flowering shrubs. The key is to play with volumes and colours.