Blue spruce vs Lawson cypress

Blue spruce and Lawson cypress are often considered for the same spot in the garden (specimen, screening). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Blue spruce

Picea pungens 3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A formal, conical spruce with stiff, silvery-blue needles and branches down to the ground; in time it reaches 15 to 20 metres tall and 4 to 6 metres…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about €24

Lawson cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 4 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A soft, scale-leaved evergreen that is grown in gardens almost only as cultivars: slim columns or cones in blue-green, green or yellow that stay far…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about €15

Key differences

Blue spruce: We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. In Central Europe the hot, dry summers of recent years hit it hard: large blue spruces are dying in gardens and parks, because the shallow-rooted, weakened trees are attacked by bark beetles, and an infested tree cannot be saved.
Lawson cypress grows larger: 4 m × 1.5 m after ten years, against 3 m × 1.5 m for Blue spruce (an estimate: sources differ).
Blue spruce tolerates drought better than Lawson cypress.
Blue spruce also takes chalky soil, Lawson cypress prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk (an estimate: sources differ).
Lawson cypress has pollen that can cause allergies, Blue spruce does not (an estimate: sources differ).
Lawson cypress is cheaper: about €21 at the same size (60–100 cm), against about €100 for Blue spruce.

Which one to choose?

Lawson cypress is the safer choice: we do not recommend planting Blue spruce in most gardens.

Watch out for

Blue spruce

In Central Europe the hot, dry summers of recent years hit it hard: large blue spruces are dying in gardens and parks, because the shallow-rooted, weakened trees are attacked by bark beetles, and an infested tree cannot be saved. In dry, warm spots spider mites speckle the needles yellow and make them drop, and the green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum), mainly after mild winters, browns the older needles in spring from the inside out and from the bottom up. Rhizosphaera needle cast and Cytospora canker also start on the lower branches, so the tree goes bare from below and the lost branches do not grow back. Plant a new tree only where you can give it deep summer watering and a mulch, and avoid hot, paved, airless spots.

Lawson cypress

Its most serious problem is Phytophthora root and collar rot: Lawson cypress is among the most susceptible garden plants. The foliage slowly fades to dull grey-green and then brown and the plant usually dies; there is no cure, so avoid heavy, wet or waterlogged soil and do not replant where one has already died this way. Phytophthora lateralis, the specialist pathogen that devastates the species in North America, has also turned up in Western Europe in recent years. In the hot, dry summers of Central Europe it suffers from heat and dry air unless watered and goes bare inside, and in cold winters the sunny, windward side can scorch. Weakened plants may also be attacked by the juniper jewel beetle, whose larvae tunnel under the bark and make whole branches die suddenly. Shops sell almost only its dwarf or columnar cultivars, which stay a fraction of the size of the species: check the size of the cultivar you choose before you buy.

The data side by side

Feature	Blue spruce	Lawson cypress
Group	Large tree	Large tree
Size after 10 years	3 m × 1.5 m (uncertain)	4 m × 1.5 m
Ultimate size	9–20 m × 3–6 m	15–30 m × 3–6 m
Growth rate	Medium	Medium
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Acidic, Clay, Sandy (uncertain)
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	Low	Low (uncertain)
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Low
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planting distance	500 cm	400 cm
Typical price	about €100 (60–100 cm)	about €21 (60–100 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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