White spruce - Picea glauca Daisys White

The Picea glauca 'Daisy's White' is the cream form of the famous Picea glauca 'Conica'. This miniature white spruce gradually forms a perfect pyramid, covered with very regular vegetation. Its young white to pale yellow shoots overwhelm the old dark green foliage in spring, irresistibly attracting attention. Its very soft-looking foliage is dense and composed of fine, short and tight needles. Slow-growing, it is perfectly suited for rockeries, livens up flower beds, and performs well in pots. It is a small, undemanding and highly adaptable conifer, in well-drained soil and in a semi-shaded position.

The Picea glauca, also known as White spruce or Glauca spruce, is an evergreen conifer belonging to the pinaceae family, native to Canada. In its natural environment, it grows slowly and has a quite variable habit depending on its habitat, 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 or more).

The variety 'Daisy's White', derived from this species, is a dwarf and elegant form, with a compact, conical and upright habit. It grows slowly, at a rate of 5 to 8cm (3.1in) per year. It will slowly reach 1m (3.3ft)to 1.5m (4.9ft) in height and 80cm (31.5in) to 1m (3.3ft) in width, sometimes more in cool and humid climates. It produces short and very tight staggered branches, covered with short and quadrangular needles arranged in brushes, very sharp and aromatic with a covering of white wax. The young shoots, bright and soft, are very light, then its foliage takes a uniformly dark green to green-blue shade, varying according to the plant. In spring, the contrast is striking. Some branches become similar to those of 'Conica'; they are then covered with green needles. The root system of white spruces is shallow, highly branched, and creeping, which makes them difficult to transplant when they are mature and particularly sensitive to wind.

The 'Daisy's White' spruce, with its unique colour, perfect habit, very reduced growth and maintenance-free is a perfect plant for rockeries, terraces, or single planting. It thrives in many situations, in various climates, as long as the soil is well-drained and not too chalky. This plant with "platinum blonde" foliage goes well with red foliage (Photinia fraseri Little Red Robin) or purple foliage (Pittosporum tenuifolium Purpureum). It works wonders with large stones, geometric lines, and masonry. The architectural qualities of conifers naturally works in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures to flowering. These plants durably structure a flower bed, mark pathways and border terraces, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. They go 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.