Blue Nest Spruce
Picea mariana 'Ericoides'
Height: 4 feet
Spread: 4 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 3b
Description:
A dense and compact mounded shrub with a characteristic depression in the center (hence the name), colorful fine-textured bluish-green needles; adaptable and hardy, an excellent choice for form and texture in the garden or for rock gardens
Ornamental Features
Blue Nest Spruce is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The needles are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter.
Landscape Attributes
Blue Nest Spruce is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Blue Nest Spruce is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Blue Nest Spruce will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.
