Columnar Blue Spruce Tree
Picea pungens var.glauca 'Fastigiata'
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Columnar Blue Spruce Tree - #5 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Columnar Blue Spruce Tree highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateSlow
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Fall Color
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodLate Spring

Growing Zones 4-7
Compact, Colorful Columnar Blue Spruce
- Dramatic Silver-Blue Color
- Striking Upright Form
- No Pruning or Maintenance
- Bird Friendly
- Cold Hardy
So you're in love with the idea of having a Spruce tree in your landscape, and why not? Spruce are some of the most beautiful evergreen trees around, with their gorgeous, steely-blue colored needles.
But Colorado Spruce is a commitment. It can and will grow very large and wide. This variety is different. It grows tall enough to create an impact but stays narrow enough to fit just about anywhere.
Columnar Blue Spruce (Picea pungens var. glauca 'Fastigiata') is a selection of a native tree that was chosen because of its narrow, upright form. You won't have to sacrifice any of the colors or interests you crave if you select this lovely tree.
The beautiful needles emerge each spring with a fantastic powdery blue coating. The fastigiate branching is held tightly upright close to the main trunk, which really gives the tree a crisp, alert appearance.
If space is limited, and you simply don't have room for the classic "Christmas Tree" shape of Colorado Spruce, then Columnar Blue Spruce is your answer. This smaller version of the classic Blue Spruce is just what you need to give you the look you want without worrying about it taking up all of your precious garden space.
It has a fantastic look that fits into a myriad of different garden design styles from very formal, to rustic and even contemporary. The final look will depend on the styling and the plants you partner it with.
Others are shopping for this lovely tree. If you want it in your garden and it's in stock, please order today. We will run out of this popular variety, so go ahead and order from us today!
How to Use Columnar Blue Spruce in the Landscape
This well-kept tree makes the most incredible vertical specimen for a sunny location.
Columnar Blue Spruce looks great in any garden setting and gives you an instant hit of fabulous blue color all year long. It will work equally well with Ornamental Grasses, Coneflowers, and Black-Eyed Susan's as it would give structure and form near groundcover Roses or Hydrangeas.
Need privacy, but don't have any extra room? Plant 5 feet apart (measured from trunk to trunk) to create a tight grouping with the branches touching. Use several together to screen off a narrow space like a patio area or side yard.
A screen like this can also block the worst of the prevailing winter winds in a windbreak. Site it about 50 feet away from your house on the North or Northwest side of your house.
Columnar Blue Spruce looks great at the back of a perennial or mixed shrub border. Use as a "Sentry" on either side of a door or gateway. They are also wonderful when placed at the start of a special garden path.
Imagine being able to decorate your living tree for Christmas. Where could you see it from inside the house? Create a vignette or scene to enjoy each year.
Birds take shelter in it, so you might site a collection of bird feeders nearby. Place Viburnum or Hedge Cotoneaster shrubs nearby and feed the birds fruit. Or use a graceful partner tree, like Serviceberry to give delicious color contrast in spring and autumn.
Play with contrasting textures and form by pairing it with spreading evergreen groundcover Junipers or Golden Mop False Cypress shrubs. Trust us, this tree will work with any other evergreen or any of your perennials. There simply isn't any plant that won't look good next to it.
#ProPlantTips for Care
These useful, beautiful trees never need pruning, but always look pruned. They'll perform best in full sun.
They can handle the cold, too.
Easy to transplant and easy to grow, this selection of Blue Spruce is striking. It never really needs maintenance of any kind once it has been established in your yard. Well-drained soil is preferred, but it will perform in just about any soil except standing water.
Mulch all around the tree, but don't let the mulch touch the trunk.
It will eventually have some drought tolerance, but you should check for water regularly in the first year. Use the "Finger Test" to determine if your tree needs moisture. Simply stick your finger into the soil around the roots up to the 2nd knuckle.
If it feels dry, give it a long drink so that the ground around it becomes saturated. If it's moist, skip watering and check again the next day.
As a young plant, they stay quite narrow, only three feet or so, and ten feet or so high. Each year, they'll add another few inches up but will maintain the narrow form for a very long time.
Order today. A tree this beautiful and narrow will sell out quickly.