Picea pungens 'Globosa' (Globe Blue Spruce)
Michael's Opinion
An intensely compact form of Blue Spruce producing a somewhat irregular globe. It is also available as a grafted standard (should be illegal) I find the non standard form tolerable.
Botanical Information
| Family | Pinaceae |
| Genus | Picea |
| Species | pungens |
| Cultivar | 'Globosa' |
| Category | Woody |
| Type | Shrub (evergreen) |
| Origin | Originated as a seedling in a Dutch nursery in 1935. |
| Pronunciation |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 2–7 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | 4 |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | -45˚ |
| Temperature (°F) | 10˚ |
| Height | 1.5 m |
| Spread | 2 m |
| Growth | Slow |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | A loosely globose plant of compact stature with rich blue foliage. Also grown as a standard. |
| ID Characteristic | Has a round appearance to it with a flat top that eventually will grow in. It has a fairly distinct blue-green colour. If it is not pruned it will just grow out every which way and still have a relatively flat top forming a loosely globose form. |
| Shape | Loosely rounded, slow growing taking up to 15 years to attain its maximum height. |
| Landscape | As a speciman or accent plant that is often misplanted since it can reach quite a size from the 2 gallon pot bought at the nursery. |
| Propagation | Grafted in February onto seedling understock, lined out in the spring. |
| Cultivation | Must be planted in full sun and well drained acidic soil in a sheltered location protected from drying winds. |
| Pests | Needle cast, canker and rust. Also prone to aphids, scale, budworms and bagworms. Spider mites can also affect the new growth of the shrub in excessively hot conditions. |
| Notable Specimens | Rayner Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada. |
| Habitat | Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark is fairly rough looking and has a scale like texture, it is a light brown colour. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Brown, rough, scale-like texture about 1 cm in length. |
| Leaf Description | The foliage is blue-green all year long. It has stiff and bristly foliage that shoots out at all angles on the branches. The needles are 3–4 cm long. |
| Flower Description | A non flowering cultivar. |
| Fruit Description | It does not produce cones since it is a sterile cultivar. |
| Colour Description | The foliage is blue-green and is very thick so the bark is not always visible, however it is light brown. |
| Texture Description | The overall look of the texture is rough and prickly but the needles are smooth. The branches are smooth with the trunk slightly rough. |
Photographs
Rayner Gardens, London, Ontario.
Picea pungens 'Globosa' standard at Rayner Gardens, London, Ontario, Canada.