PAR.K AND CEME-TEIVY 
199 
COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE, 
Picea {Abies) Pungens. 
It is certain that there has not been too much said 
in the past few years of the beauty and desirability of 
the Colorado Blue Spruce. It is one of the most 
beautiful and distinct of evergreens, when the real blue 
COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE, BOULDER CANON. COL. 
colored one is seen. If I mistake not this was at one 
time thought to be but a variation of what was known 
as Abies Menziesi, but it is now fully recognized as a 
distinct species, and goes under the name Picea pun- 
gens. It is in the same section as is the Norway, Black, 
Hemlock and other spruces, long known as Abies, but 
now, to be correct, called Picea. There is great confu- 
sion in the names of conifers. Most all horticultural 
establishments keep up the old names, for many rea- 
sons, not the least of which is the one that their pa- 
trons know their favorites under them, and by adher- 
ing to them it prevents confusion. 
The first illustration presented we have ob- 
tained through the kindness of Messrs. D. S. Grimes & 
Son, Denver, Colorado, who say that it represents a 
very fine specimen of the tree in Boulder Canon, on 
the wagon road leading from Boulder City to the 
town of Eldora. While, certainly, of most beautiful 
pyramidal outline, it is not of the character of the trees 
of it in cultivation here. On the pleasure grounds of 
many a residence hereabouts this tree is now not at all 
uncommon. Its growth is much less pyramidal than 
those shown in the mountains, making a broader 
base in proportion to the height. But this is easily 
accounted for. All trees in valleys behave in the same 
way. Their desire is to get up into the full light, and 
an upright growth is accomplished more rapidly than 
were the trees on level ground. 
It is time to say that the cnief value of this tree lies 
in the silvery foliage, supposing always the true blue 
is secured. There are all shades of color, from com- 
mon green to silvery blue, to be found in trees of it. 
The common green ones are very little better than 
Norway Spruce. Then there are some slightly blue 
and others of varying deepness of color until the best, 
a silvery blue, is reached. It seems almost impossible 
to get seedlings all of the very best colors either from 
collectors or from seeds. Probably small sized plants 
do not show their colors as well as larger ones, at any 
rate seedlings from collectors there of good repute 
give all kinds, from the commonest to the best. Nur- 
serymen often single out one of the very best and then 
graft from it, to have a supply of the very best kind. 
These, the best, are of a lovely silvery white color, not 
blue. I think blue a misnomer. At any rate there is 
no other evergreen of like color existing in cultivation 
today. 
There is something in the manner of growth of this 
spruce reminding one of the way the Silver, Nord- 
mann and other Firs grow. The growths are in lay- 
ers, as it were, one above the other, and there is a 
broad base to the trees, as broad again in proportion 
to the height as is represented in the illustration. 
As with the Norway and other spruces the Colorado 
COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE. 
