Spruce, 5 gal, Colorado

The Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) is a popular, rugged evergreen tree well-known for its classic pyramidal shape, striking colour, and extreme cold hardiness, making it an ideal specimen or windbreak tree for Canadian landscapes. Foliage: Needles are stiff, sharp, and four-sided, ranging in colour from a silvery-blue (in cultivars like 'Glauca' or 'Baby Blue') to a darker green. The colour is retained throughout the winter, providing year-round interest. Size & Form: A large, dense evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a distinctive pyramidal form. It typically grows 15 to 25 metres (50–80 feet) tall and spreads 5 to 10 metres wide in cultivation. Hardiness: It is extremely cold-hardy, thriving in Canadian Hardiness Zone 2 to 7, making it a reliable choice for the harsh prairie climate. Tolerances: Highly adaptable, it is drought-tolerant once established and can handle a wide variety of soil conditions and urban pollution. Deer typically leave it alone. Light: Requires full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight) for the best colour and growth. Water: Water deeply during the first growing season to establish roots. Once established, it is drought-tolerant but will not tolerate any standing water. Maintenance: A low-maintenance tree. Pruning is usually only needed to shape the new growth of the current season in late winter or early spring.