The dwarf conifer Picea pungens ‘Globosa’, a Colorado blue spruce, brightens the garden all year long with its stubby, silver-blue needles. This bone-hardy selection is a slow grower that can be expected to remain compact for many years.
Common name: ‘Globosa’ Colorado blue spruce
Botanical name: Picea pungens ‘Globosa’
Exposure: Full to part sun
Foliage: Short, stiff needles cover the branches. They are silvery blue in color.
Habit: ‘Globosa’ blue spruce has tight, dense branching that makes it globe-like in shape while it is young. With time, it can develop a central leading branch that will grow vertically and cause the shrub to take on a more pyramidal or broadly columnar shape. This leader and any other upright branches can be removed to encourage 'Globosa' blue spruce to keep a more rounded shape. This conifer is very slow growing, adding perhaps three inches of growth per year. It is typically listed as reaching three to five feet tall and wide. Over many years, however, it can grow much larger.
Origins: The species Picea pungens is a spruce tree native to western North America. 'Globosa’ is a cultivar dating back to 1937, when the first seedling was selected by Dutch grower Anthony Kluys.
How to grow ‘Globosa’ blue spruce: Site this blue-needled conifer in full sun or part sun and average soil that drains well. It needs regular moisture, particularly in its first few years in the garden. Once it is thoroughly established, it may withstand dry spells, but it does prefer even moisture. Remove vertical growth if it appears, unless you prefer 'Globosa' to develop a more upright shape. USDA Zones 2–8.
Image credits: Young plant by KENPEI/CC BY-SA 3.0; Foliage detail and mature plant habit by F.D. Richards/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
