Blue Spruce (Colorado Spruce) vs Sitka Spruce - TreeTime.ca

Blue Spruce (Colorado Spruce) vs Sitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis

Picea pungens

CUSTOM GROW

Sitka Spruce
Blue Spruce (Colorado Spruce)

Sitka Spruce is a native conifer and the largest spruce species in the world. It grows quickly and reaches impressive heights, often reaching more than 50 metres (164 feet) in suitable conditions. It has strong, durable wood that has long been recognised for its commercial value.

It contributes to soil stability and plays an important role in coastal ecosystems. It offers cover and nesting sites for birds and small animals, and its seeds provide food for wildlife such as songbirds and small mammals.

Sitka Spruce plays a role in reforestation and ecological restoration projects in Coastal BC. It also holds historical significance: the Wright Brothers famously used Sitka Spruce to construct the frames of their first flying machines.

Blue Spruce, also known as Colorado Spruce, is our best selling tree! People are attracted to the distinctive blue-green color of this hardy evergreen. But Blue Spruce really stands out because it is tough, long lived, and adapted to a wide range of growing conditions. Blue Spruce trees are ideally suited for use in shelterbelts, privacy screens, or as accent trees.

Please note: our Blue Spruce are grown from seed and the needles vary in color from green to blue.

Sitka Spruce Quick Facts

Blue Spruce (Colorado Spruce) Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $0.99 - SAVE UP TO 78%
Zone: 5a
Zone: 2a
Height: 61 m (200 ft)
Height: 27 m (90 ft)
Spread: 11 m (35 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, conical
Spreading: seeds - low, layering - low
Suckering: none


Foliage: blueish green needles
Bark: thin, flaky, gray-brown to gray-purple
Cones: Reddish-brown, papery cones
Cones: large light brown cones (up to 10 cm long), mature in August and open on the tree, then fall to the ground over the following year
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


In row spacing: 3 - 4 m (10 - 12 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: BC
Other Names: coast spruce, tideland spruce
Other Names: colorado blue spruce, colorado spruce