Blue Totem Columnar Colorado Spruce
Picea pungens ‘Blue Totem‘
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 3a-7b in hot summer climates; 3a-8b in cool summer climates  Find Your Zone
Plant Type:Â Coniferous Evergreen Tree
Height at Maturity:Â 12-15’+, depending on location. Possibly taller when growing in ideal conditions
Width at Maturity:Â avg. 3′, depending on location. Possibly a little wider when growing in ideal conditions
Spacing:Â Â Best as specimen, in spaced groupings at 7′ apart, or use two to frame an entrance
Growth Habit / Form:Â Upright, Narrow, Column
Growth Rate:Â Slow, 4-6″ per year
Foliage Color:Â Light Silvery Blue new growth matures to Bright Steel-Blue
Fragrant Foliage:Â Yes
Sun Needs:Â Full Sun or Mostly Sun
Water Needs:Â Â Average, low when established
Soil Type:Â Â Clay (amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sand, SiltÂ
Soil Drainage:Â Moist to Damp But Well-Drained
Soil pH:Â 6.0 – 7.5
Maintenance / Care:Â Very Low
Attracts:Â Visual Attention
Resistances:Â Cold (-40F), Deer, Disease, Drought (when established), Insect
Description
Adored for its exceptional color and incredibly slender form, the ‘Blue Totem’ Colorado Spruce forms a dense column to maybe 15 feet tall and only 3 feet wide with ascending branches and stems clothed in soothing bright blue needles. Extremely low-maintenance and easy to grow, Blue Totem is a beautiful accent for adding dynamic color, texture, and form where space might be limited in landscape borders, home foundation plantings, and rock and conifer gardens. Two can frame an entrance, or a grouping of three is nice in larger spaces.
Landscape & Garden Uses
The Blue Totem Colorado Spruce is ideal as an accent tree in smaller landscape or garden spaces where height is desired but space is limited. It is also excellent for framing entryways in home foundation plantings or spaced groupings 7 feet or more apart in larger landscape and garden spaces. It is also lovely in pots, planters, and other containers for situating on or around sunny patios and other outdoor sitting and living spaces. It is a fine addition to conifer gardens, rock gardens, blue-theme gardens, Zen gardens, and the Xeriscape.
Suggested Spacing:Â 5 feet or more apart in spaced groupings
Growing Preferences
Blue Totem Colorado Blue Spruce is easy to grow in damp to moist but well-drained soil of average fertility. As with many other conifers, constantly soggy or wet soils can be problematic, leading to root rot or other harmful plant diseases. So make sure to plant this one in well-drained soil, whether in the ground or pots. It grows best in full sun; however, in Zones 7b and 8a in the south, it will prefer some shade or filtered sun during the middle of the afternoon. Once established, water needs are lower when growing in the ground. In pots, soil moisture must be monitored more closely, especially during summer. When the top two inches of soil is dry, provide water.
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