What soil does Blue spruce grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, sandy, calcareous, acidic.

Is Blue spruce hardy?

Hardy down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

How far from the house should Blue spruce be planted?

Plant it at least 6 m from buildings. Keep it at least 1.5 m from paving.

How much water does Blue spruce need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

How much does Blue spruce cost?

It sells for roughly CZK 260 to CZK 40,000 in local shops, depending on size.

What should I plant instead of Blue spruce?

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. For a similar purpose we recommend: Serbian spruce, White fir, Hinoki cypress, Japanese red pine.

Blue spruce

Picea pungens

Blue spruce (Picea pungens) is a large tree. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Sold in local shops from about CZK 260. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Blue spruce — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

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 wide, so it only suits a roomy garden as a specimen or a screen. Plant it in an open, sunny spot in well-drained soil and water it deeply in hot, dry summers, because it copes badly with heat. It has no thorns, but the needles are very sharp and prick, so keep it away from paths and play areas; for a small garden choose the dwarf, rounded forms (such as Glauca Globosa), which stay about 1 to 1.5 metres tall even after decades.

We do not recommend this plant

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.

Watch out for

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.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 3 m × 1.5 m
Hardiness: down to -40 °C
Foliage: Evergreen

All details

Group	Large tree
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	3 m × 1.5 m
Ultimate size	9–20 m × 3–6 m
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	no data
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	at least 6 m
Distance from paving	at least 1.5 m
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	500 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	from about CZK 260

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Serbian spruce

Picea omorika 4 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A slim, spire-like spruce with short, drooping branches that turn up at the tips and needles that are silvery underneath; it takes little room for its…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 500

White fir

Abies concolor 3 m × 1.8 m after 10 years

You can tell it by its long, soft, upcurved blue-grey needles, which smell of citrus when crushed. It takes heat and drought better than any other…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 950

Hinoki cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa 3 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A slow-growing, dark green evergreen whose flat, shell-like twisting fans of foliage build a sculptural, irregular shape. The wild species is a forest…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 330

Japanese red pine

Pinus densiflora 4 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

Nurseries sell almost only its slow-growing dwarf and small forms: the umbrella-shaped, multi-stemmed Umbraculifera (Tanyosho pine), which makes a…

Large tree

Full sun

from about CZK 900

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
30-40 cm	approx. CZK 900
40-55 cm	approx. CZK 1,800
60-80 cm	approx. CZK 900
80-100 cm	approx. CZK 2,600
size not stated	approx. CZK 260 – CZK 40,000

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

Compare with similar plants

Blue spruce vs Lawson cypress Blue spruce vs Norway spruce Blue spruce vs Serbian spruce