Scientific name: Picea pungens var. glauca
Common name: Colorado Blue Spruce
Native: Yes
Native range: It is native to the central and southern Rocky Mountains, as well as some isolated locations in north-central Montana [1,2,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for P. pungens var. glauca.
USDA Zones: 4-7 [1]
Maximum age: Quite long-lived, with a maximum age of approximately 600 years [3].
Ecology: Birds and squirrels eat the seeds, while deer rarely browse the mature foliage. Blue spruce may be an important source of shelter and hunting grounds for insectivorous birds [5]. It supports two species of small, leaf-mining moths - Argyrotaenia citrana and Endothenia albolineana [6].
Ethnobotany: It is frequently used as an ornamental in both North American and Europe, and is also valued as a source of Christmas trees [3,5]. It is used by Indigenous American groups ceremonially and as a cold remedy [4].