Picea pungens or the Colorado Spruce is a dense, hardy conifer with a conical habit of spirally arranged branches which grow horizontally in cold climates or are more pendulous in warm climates and grow right to ground level.
The short needle-like leaves are a soft grey-green and it's at its best in spring, as the new, soft, foliage unfurls.
It produces pendulous cones about 8cms long and the bark is greyish brown and deeply furrowed.
A lovely habit or colour contrast tree with a beautiful silhouette.
It can tolerate wind but needs protection from hot drying winds as well as hot western sun in hot climates.
Other varieties include:
"Glauca" has gorgeous blue or grey green short needle-like leaves
"Koster" has wonderful blue/grey foliage that matures to a blue/green. It is at its best in spring, as the new, soft, powdery blue foliage unfurls. It produces tubular, scaled cones, sharply pointed needles and grey bark. This is difficult to grow, expensive but gorgeous.