Picea glauca Jalako Gold - White Spruce

Picea glauca Jalako Gold is a variety of small and slow-growing spruce that is interesting for its very compact rounded habit and its young shoots of a creamy yellow that contrast pleasantly with the older foliage. It is original and will bring a very personal touch to a small garden when planted in isolation, and enliven a rock garden or a container on the terrace. This conifer is easy to grow in ordinary, well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade.

Picea glauca, also known as Norway Spruce or Red Spruce, is an evergreen conifer belonging to the pine family, native to northern Europe, specifically Scandinavia. In its natural environment, it has a typically conical and pyramidal habit, and can reach a height of 30m (98 ft 5 in) or more in Eastern Europe. This species is traditionally used as a Christmas tree in Europe. It prefers well-drained and cool soils and does not mind very low temperatures.

The 'Jalako Gold' variety, derived from this species, is a dwarf form with a very dense rounded habit. It eventually forms a beautiful cushion of about 80cm (31.5 in) in all directions in average climates. Its growth is slow. It develops short and stiff branches, arranged spirally on the tight branches. Its young spring shoots are very pale yellow, then turn green, with the oldest needles being green-grey-blue. Its small evergreen leaves are very sharp, rigid needles, arranged all around the branches, in a brush-like fashion. The root system of spruces is shallow and spreading, which makes them difficult to transplant when they are mature and particularly sensitive to wind.

The 'Jalako Gold' dwarf spruce is a plant that will look good on a lawn or in a rock garden. As it adapts well to container cultivation, it can also adorn the terrace. This variety goes well with large stones, geometric lines, and brickwork. It can also be associated with columnar, prostrate, or erect dwarf conifers. The architectural qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in contemporary settings, where shapes, silhouettes, and textures are played with. These plants provide lasting structure to a flowerbed, mark pathways, and border the terrace. They go well with ground cover plants such as aubrietas, ceraistes and heathers, as well as perennials such as Ophiopogons and Liriopes. The key is to play with volumes and colours.