Picea pungens Edith - Blue Spruce

Picea pungens Edith is a particularly decorative form of blue spruce with its light silver-blue foliage and its beautiful, very regular conical shape. This conifer slowly develops a perfect fir tree silhouette, attractive throughout all seasons. Its foliage is composed of small sharp needles covered with a thick bloom, densely arranged around orange branches. With slow growth and moderate development, this selection finds its place in many gardens. The blue spruce thrives in sunlight, in well-drained soil, even quite dry, preferably slightly acidic to neutral.

Native to the west coast of the United States, and the Rocky Mountains of North America, up to Canada, the Picea pungens, also known as the Colorado blue spruce or blue spruce, is a very hardy evergreen conifer belonging to the pinaceae family. In its natural environment, it grows slowly and has an elegant and regular conical habit, with horizontal and tiered branches. This tree can reach a height of 25 to 40 metres (82 to 131 feet 2 inches), adapts to many soils, and tolerates some drought. Only excessively clayey and extremely chalky soil should be avoided.

The 'Edith' variety, derived from this species, is a horticultural creation. It is an elegant conifer that over time forms a perfect cone of very light colour. Its growth is slow, about 10 cm in height and 5 cm in width each year. After 10 years, it will reach approximately 3 metres (9 feet 10 inches) in height and 80 cm (31.5 in) in width, sometimes a little more in cool and humid climates. When mature, it will reach an average height of 5 metres (16 feet 5 inches) and a width of 2.50 metres (8 feet 2 inches). This blue spruce produces brown-orange branches covered with short and sharp needles, densely and radially arranged. Its young spring shoots are a very bright silver-blue. This colour will last longer if the plant is exposed to sunlight and not subjected to persistent rain. The blue-silver colour of the needles is due to the presence of a waxy and bloom-like film. It will be thicker in the sun and in slightly dry soils. Repeated rains tend to wash it away.

The 'Edith' blue spruce, with its perfect habit and undeniable elegance, is a focal point in the garden. This undemanding conifer thrives in many situations and under various climates. It goes well with stones and geometric lines in a classic or contemporary setting. The reassuring permanence of conifers structurally marks flower beds and the landscape. Consider heathers or very robust ground cover plants to fill their base: variegated periwinkle, creeping cotoneaster (Cotoneaster integrifolius), or even a small botanical rose like the Rosa nitida. The key is to play with volumes and colours!