Picea glauca Conica Blue - White Spruce

Picea glauca 'Conica Blue' is the blue form of the famous Picea glauca 'Conica'. Over time, this white spruce forms a perfect pyramid, covered with regular foliage. Its intensely grey-blue young shoots emerge in spring from the old green-blue foliage. Its dense foliage is composed of fine, short and tight needles. Slow growing, this conifer is perfectly suited for rockeries. It livens up flower beds and performs well in pots. It is an undemanding plant, as long as the soil it grows in is properly drained. It can be adopted in all gardens.

Picea glauca, also known as White Spruce or Glaucous Spruce, is an evergreen conifer belonging to the Pinaceae family, native to Canada. In its natural environment, it grows slowly, and has a fairly variable habit depending on its habitat, but is usually conical or pyramidal with a broad base. This tree can reach a height of 25m (82ft). This species is traditionally used for paper production. It can live for many years (200 years or more).

The variety 'Conica Blue', derived from this species, is a dwarf and elegant form, with a compact, conical and upright habit. After about thirty years, it will reach 2m (7ft) in height and 1m (3ft) in spread, sometimes more in cool and humid climates. It produces short and tight branches, layered and highly hierarchical, covered with short and quadrangular needles arranged in brushes, which are very sharp and aromatic (strong resin smell). They are covered with a white wax. Its young spring shoots are distinctly blue-silver, then its foliage takes on a uniformly blue-green hue, which varies depending on the plant. Occasionally, some branches revert back to resembling those of 'Conica'; they then become covered with green needles. The root system of white spruces is shallow, highly branched and creeping, which makes them difficult to transplant when mature and particularly sensitive to wind.

With its beautiful habit, compact development, undemanding nature, and easy cultivation, it is ideal for rockeries, terraces, or for solitary planting. It thrives in many situations, in various climates, as long as the soil is well-drained and not too chalky. This plant pairs well with large stones, geometric lines, and masonry works. It can be planted with dwarf conifers with a columnar, upright, prostrate (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip'), or globose habit (Picea glauca 'Alberta Globe'). The visual qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures over the fleeting beauty of flowers. With their reassuring permanence, these plants durably structure a bed. They can mark pathways, and border terraces, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. They pair well with heathers or ground cover plants such as aubrietas, cerastiums, shrubby salvias, as well as flowering shrubs. The key is to play with volumes and colours