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| Picea pungens Engelm. |
Picea pungens (Colorado Blue Spruce or Blue Spruce) is a species of spruce native to western North America, from southeast Idaho and southwest Wyoming, south through Utah and Colorado to Arizona and New Mexico. George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, ( 2 February 1809 - 4 February 1884) was a German - American Spruce refers to Trees of the genus Picea, a genus of about 35 species of Coniferous Evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. It grows at high altitudes from 1,750-3,000 m altitude, though unlike Engelmann Spruce in the same area, it does not reach the alpine tree-line. Picea engelmannii ( Engelmann Spruce) is a species of Spruce native to western North America, from central British Columbia and The tree line or timberline is the edge of the habitat at which Trees are capable of growing It is most commonly found growing along streamsides in mountain valleys, where moisture levels in the soil are greater than the often low rainfall in the area would suggest. [1][2][3]
It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to 25-30 m tall, exceptionally to 46 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 1. In Botany, an Evergreen plant is a plant having leaves all year round A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or 5 m. The bark is thin and scaly, flaking off in small circular plates 5-10 cm across. Bark, also known as periderm is the outermost layer of stems and Roots of Woody plants such as Trees It overlays the Wood and consists The crown is conic in young trees, becoming cylindric in older trees. The shoots are stout, orange-brown, usually glabrous, and with prominent pulvini. The leaves are needle-like, 15-30 mm long, stout, rhombic in cross-section, dull gray-green to bright glaucous blue (very variable from tree to tree in wild populations), with several lines of stomata; the tip is viciously sharp. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In Botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore found mostly on the underside of a Plant Leaf [1][2][4]
The cones are pendulous, slender cylindrical, 6-11 cm long and 2 cm broad when closed, opening to 4 cm broad. A cone (in formal botanical usage Strobilus, plural strobili is an organ on Plants in the division Pinophyta ( Conifers They have thin, flexible scales 20-24 mm long, with a wavy margin. They are reddish to violet, maturing pale brown 5-7 months after pollination. The seeds are black, 3-4 mm long, with a slender, 10-13 mm long pale brown wing. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored [1][2]
Blue Spruce does not normally hybridize with other spruces, though hybrids with Engelmann Spruce have been found very rarely. In Biology, hybrid has two meanings The first meaning is the result of interbreeding between two animals or plants of different taxa. [2]
Uses
Blue Spruce is one of the most popular garden conifers, grown for its strongly glaucous foliage. A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. Glaucous (from the Latin glaucous, meaning "bluish-grey or green" from the Greek glaukos) is a Botanical term Numerous cultivars selected for particularly bright blue foliage have been selected by the horticultural trade, some of them also slow-growing dwarf forms suitable for planting in small gardens. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar Horticulture is the art and science of plant cultivation Horticulturists (or horticuluralists) work and conduct research in the fields of Plant propagation It is also sometimes used as a Christmas tree, though the very sharp needles make it a poor choice for families with children. A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration
Blue Spruce is the State Tree of Colorado (where it is commonly known as Colorado Spruce) and Utah. This List of US state trees includes official trees of the following states and U
The National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. is a Blue Spruce planted on the Ellipse in 1978. In the United States, a large tree near the White House is decorated as the National Christmas Tree. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D President's Park, located in Washington DC, United States, includes the White House a visitor center Lafayette Park, and The Ellipse
Blue Spruce trees are often used by homeowners and landscape architects for home security purposes. A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning design and sometimes oversight of an exterior landscape or space Physical security describes measures that prevent or deter Attackers from accessing a facility resource or information stored on physical media The sharp needles may deter unauthorized persons from entering private properties, and may prevent break-ins if planted under windows and near drainpipes. The aesthetic characteristics of the Blue Spruce, in conjunction with its home security qualities, makes it a considerable alternative to artificial fences and walls. A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area [5]
References and external links
- ^ a b c Farjon, A. (1990). Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3-87429-298-3.
- ^ a b c d Flora of North America: Picea pungens
- ^ Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Picea pungens. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
- ^ Gymnosperm Database: Picea pungens
- ^ Home Security Guru: Colorado Spruce
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