Picea pungens ‘Glauca Globosa’ Colorado Spruce

Dwarf Globe is a tiny, mound-shaped variety of the majestic Blue or Colorado Spruce native to the central Rocky Mountains. It originated from a seed in the Kluis Nursery of Boskoop, Holland, in 1937 and is similar to the variety Picea pungens ‘Montgomery.’ In 1993, it won the prestigious Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of Garden Merit for its small shape and hardiness.
This little tree is densely branched and globe-shaped with a flattened top when young, growing only 2″ to 4″ per year and becoming 3′ × 3′ in 10 years. It develops a central leader and becomes broadly pyramidal as it grows. At maturity, the tree can reach 3′-5′ high x 4′-6′ wide. The needles are dazzling silver-blue and are their brightest when they emerge in the spring, and they hold their color all year long. Because of its small size and shape, Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce is perfect as an individual accent and a foundation plant. It is also an outstanding choice for rock gardens, Asian gardens, mixed conifer gardens, shrub borders, and containers.
Dwarf Globe prefers cold climates and doesn’t do as well in heat and humidity. It will grow in sun to light shade in moist, slightly acidic, well-draining loam, sand, or clay. In the coldest areas of its 2-8 hardiness zones, it displays its most brilliant color in full sun but appreciates some morning sun or light shade in the warmest regions. Dwarf Globe needs moist soil and should not be allowed to dry out. Water it well when planting and regularly during the first year. It will become moderately drought-tolerant once established but will still need additional water during dry spells. Trees grown in containers need to be watered more frequently than those planted in the ground since they will dry out quickly, especially in the summer.
Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce stands out against a backdrop of dark green evergreens, such as arborvitae, pines, junipers, or hollies. Other companion plants include dogwood, magnolia, Japanese maple, spiraea, hydrangea, abelia, weigela, smoke tree, rhododendron, rose of sharon, and azalea. Flowering perennials, such as lavender, Russian sage, coneflower, Shasta daisy, sedum, lilyturf, and hellebore, add a spot of color when planted nearby. Groundcovers, such as periwinkle, low-growing sedums, creeping phlox, ice plants, and portulaca, bring some texture and color around the base of the tree.
Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce is low-maintenance, bird-friendly, rabbit- and deer-resistant, moderately drought-tolerant, and urban pollution and salt-resistant.