Plot & PetalField ManualAll plants
Blue Spruce
Picea pungens Engelm.
Pet & Human Safety
People: Skin irritant to peoplePets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
No pet toxicity verdict is available for this plant: ASPCA has no page that assesses it (searched by species and common names). That is a gap, not an all-clear.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
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- Hardiness zones
USDA 2a to 7a per NC State; USDA 2 to 7 per Utah State University; USDA 2 to 7 per University of Minnesota
- Light
Full sun.
- Water needs
moderate
- Mature size
30 to 60 ft (9 to 18 m) tall and 10 to 20 ft (3 to 6 m) wide, slow to medium growth (NC State, University of Minnesota). Dwarf and weeping varieties exist, such as 'Glauca Globosa' and 'The Blue' (NC State).
- Family
Pinaceae (NC State, USU, UMN)
- Where it comes from
NC State: the central Rocky Mountains, from southern Montana and eastern Idaho south to New Mexico.
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonVintage Plates
Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
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