Other Names:  Picea montigena

Description:

A durable spire-shaped evergreen, excellent for articulation; interesting horizontal branches turn upwards at the ends; foliage is blue-green with powder blue highlights; good for windbreaks, will eventually grow quite large under the right conditions

Ornamental Features

Candelabra Spruce is primarily valued in the landscape for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has bluish-green foliage with hints of powder blue. The needles remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The smooth gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Candelabra Spruce is a dense evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Candelabra Spruce is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts

Planting & Growing

Candelabra Spruce will grow to be about 80 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.