For a narrow blue, my favorite is Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace' - a 15-year old specimen at my parents place is 15-16' tall, 3-4' wide. Great blue color. Biggest problem is that engelmannii do not color well in containers, likely because of some micronutrient deficiency, so a container plant of it will look more gray-green. Once in the ground, 1 or 2 growing seasons and it's a brilliant blue. I can post a photo later if interested.

When you google "Picea pungens 'Glauca Pendula'" The first 2 photos showing seedlings with very narrow, weighed-down branches and a upright, straight central leader - those are not grown in the US to the best of my knowledge and are likely mislabeled photos anyway.

All forms of P. pung. 'Glauca Pendula' are rather wide, most have multiple leaders, etc.

They are quite solid for a midwest source. If you have a larger order the owner, Shawn, will send you pics and do a manual order over the phone to keep shipping costs down. A very hands on owner and definitely a salesman, lol.

He might have an excel list of inventory too that may have items not on the website.

Mention Will from WI and I'm sure he'll take care of you.

Edit:
By the way I thought I recall you using Song Sparrow. Have you already exhausted options at Western Evergreen and Conifer Kingdom?

In no particular order the top sources in my opinion are:
Conifer Kingdom
Western Evergreen
Blue River Nursery
Oriental Garden Supply
Dan's Dwarf Conifers
Coenosium
Song Sparrow
Broken Arrow Nursery

This post was edited by whaas on Tue, Apr 2, 13 at 13:19

"All forms of P. pung. 'Glauca Pendula' are rather wide, most have multiple leaders",

Not so.

The photo in the link is a closer representation to the color of Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace' which I am growing.

If you are going to order pin them down for a better photo of Picea p. 'Glauca Pendula.' especially with the new foliage harden off which should be bluer.

You didn't say what was the maximum width you could deal with. Remember 'Glauca Pendula' will develop a nice skirt over time which will be wider the the upright pendulous part of this cultivar.

Dave

Rick, I have been doing the same exact research for the same reason you listed..I was going to get 'The Blues', but then saw Dave's photo of 'Glauca Pendula' and changed my mind. I think the reason I had overlooked it so many times in the past, is because most of the time I find it is either labeled wrong or the coloration is nothing like Dave's. This will be the spotlight in my garden as well, mixed with Yellow and Green's, so the Blue coloration is critical.

IF you have the budget for it, I found an incredible looking 5' staked speciment for sales at fantasticplants.com... but it's $179 (too high for me). I inquired about smaller size offerings, but did not get any email back.

To add to my confusion Conifer Kingdom lists Picea pungens 'Kosters Prostrate' , but suggests it is the same as 'Glauca Pendula'... Most other sites suggest they are different.

Dave suggested working with a local nursury and trying to pickback on their order from one of the premier wholesaler's such as Iseli, but they apparently don't have 'Glauca Pendula' only Picea pungens 'Pendula'...which is different. The other big wholesalers do not provide pictures or the images do not look good...

That one at Blue River doesn't have the right color as is the case with almost all of the online nurseries that provide photos.. If you want a laugh, check out the photo
Forest Farms ...

Porterhouse has it listed too, but I hear it is tough to get photos from him... Anyways, other than the one a fantastic plants, I think I will wait until I see one in person that has the right color.. I will be heading down to Katsura in a week or two and see how the color is on the two he has.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fantastic Plants - 4-5' Picea Pungens 'Glauca Pendula'

hey.. long time .... no hear from..

i want pix as things bud out in your garden this year.. so many memories of your plans... do favor us..

what they all said.. but did you rule out Picea glauca 'pendula' .. or do you have that elsewhere ...

i bet joy tells you the glauca part doesnt belong in the cultivar name ... my GUESS.. P pungens var. glauca 'Pendula' .. for what that is worth .. probably nothing.. lol ...

i would prefer you give us a pic of the spot.. and let us brainstorm it ...

and do note.. the pungens will ONLY go as tall as you stake it.. and then go back down ... as compared to the picea glauca.. which has a true leader ... both my pungens grow on the ground.. and have never put up a leader ....

ken

Thanks Everyone -

Brent - I have a smaller 'Bush's Lace' That I planted last fall. My plant is a green color as you described, but it could be because of being in the container. Hopefully it will get a color to it this year.

I've always thought that Bush's Lace was wider and 'Glauca Pendula' or 'The Blues' as more narrow. See the link below comparing 'Glauca Pendula' to 'The Blues'. But I could be totally wrong, the space I have this conifer can get to a total of 3' wide comfortably before touching it's neighbors. I plan to live here for a long time, so I know that sooner or later whatever I plant will need to be replaced.

Will - I will add those companies to my list... it'll be good ordering from different places instead of settling for what my current suppliers offer.

SC - Wow That site has the completely wrong photo... I wish I could buy a 5' for $179, but with shipping it would probably be well over $200... A little over my budget of $35 lol. My biggest fear is the color... Some of my past orders, the plants weren't the colors I thought, but I still planted them. This is one of those plants where the color has to be right on for it to look right. I like mixing a lot of yellows, blues, reds, greens together. Most of my conifers are green, but in each bed I like to add at least 1 blue, 1 yellow, then some other red plants/trees. It just makes everything pop.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glauca Pendula

Hey Ken,
Yeah it's been a while... Had a baby back in October and in January I started finishing my basement. It's been a very busy past 5 months lol... but now it's back to landscaping. I'll be sure to post a lot of photos of the spring flushes as well as progress photos.

I have a couple Picea glauca 'Pendula' - I couldn't stop at just one.

I don't have a recent pic, but here is this bed from last spring. This bed has the following conifers:

Pinus mugo 'carstens', Picea glauca 'Burning Well', Picea abies 'Kellerman's Blue Cameo', Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Harvard Gold', Juniperus horizontalis 'Gold Strike' plus some red/purple/green perennials that' aren't pictured.

I'm pulling that crabapple out of the ground this month, the new blue conifer will take it's place. I planted that thing before I got interested in Conifers back when the house was built. It looks good for 3 days a year during flowing, then like crap the remainder of the year lol.

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Picea engelmannii 'Bush's Lace' - never pruned, never staked:
{{gwi:682736}} Bush's Lace' on left

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Those photos are from quite a few years ago... now it's about 1.5' wider and 6-7' taller.

-Brent

Had a baby back in October

===>>>>MY GOD!!! .. i hope your wife had it ... lol ..

ken

why are you thinking weeping?? ... you need a strong vertical there ... i know i am going to most likely suggest things you have ... but what about a green arrow .... or whatever they are calling a nootka pendula this week ... lol ...

oo oo.. a bizarrely shaped wates golden!!!

a dent???

one of the spring yellow flush pungens??? ... preferably one that is blue the rest of the year???

you are going to throw the crab somewhere out back.. plant it i mean.. arent you???

variegated sweetgum???? tricolor fagus???

why a boring old pungens..????

I'm with Ken on putting an interesting deciduous tree there.

Immediate thought is a Nyssa Red Rage. Fall color will pop/compliment your front door. Multiple sources have 2 gallon plants for $40.

Here's 'The 'Blues. Two different cultivars. The two I would guesstimate about 10 + years old. Each about 20" wide. The second photo was purchased as 'Glauca Slenderiana' but we all know it is really 'The Blues' and that's what I am calling it.

Differences from 'Glauca Pendula' are a little tighter pendulous foliage. Blue is not as pronounced and greens out to the core.

In my opinion 'Glauca 'Pendula is strikingly more beautiful but needs to stay on the stake until the height you want is achieved. It is a deeper blue and maintains that clear to the core. Pendulous branches do not hug the trunk but overall width about 3 ft here and there depending upon branching.

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You have seen it dozens of times but here it is again for comparison. I would say about 20 years old. It began to put on cones about 3 years ago. This photo about 3 years old. It is off the stake and you can see the leader has taken a left hand turn.

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Here it is today. Not sure where it's headed. Should be interesting. Color is off slightly as it was to late in the evening for good photography

{{gwi:682743}}

Dave

I never understood why the 'The Blues' was selected from a 'Glauca Pendula' side sport. Does it just have brighter and thicker blue needles?

Mine greens out in the middle too. This is something I dislike about the slew of Picea pungens cultivars. Its nice to know which ones tend to remain blue on older growth.

For me without a doubt, Dave's Glauca Pendula is one of the most outstanding conifers shown on GW. I like all of the weepers but this one is outstanding.
Cher

Ken - That would make more sense lol...

It doesn't have to be a weeper, I was only hoping to keep it in this spot for at least 15-20+ before having to take it down OR moving plants around it. Most of the ones I grow have an average 10 years size of 6 x 4. A weeper or another thin conifer wouldn't out grow the spot as fast. I measured just now and it can actually fit something that gets 4' wide at the ground.

Dave - Thanks for the photos... That tree is one of my favorites! What's the estimated size/width of yours? The color does look nicer... you can definitely see the green in 'The Blues'. Only if I can find a reputable source for one that I know will be staked and the correct color.

Blue river has a 1 gallon for $40 here: http://www.bluerivernursery.com/picea-pungens-glauca-pendula.html. The color doesn't look correct, but it may be ok once it's in the ground or the growth hardens off

Oriental Garden Supply has a 1 gallon for $35 here: http://www.orientalgardensupply.com/index.php/picea-pungens-glauca-pendula-41756.html the color looks correct, but cant tell if they are staked or not.

Looks like I might shoot them both an e-mail later today. It's a shame this conifer isn't more widely in production. Every one of my plant sources I use carry 'The Blues'

walked out my back door and spotted acer psuedoplanatus 'esk sunset' last night ... aka eskimo sunset ... see link ... to early to spell check ...

mottled fronts.. burgundy backs.. all year color .. and yes.. can you believe it.. i recommended a maple ...

probably very expensive for any size.. but crikey man.. its your front door ...

BTW ... congrats on the poop machine.. i miss those days ... they are either the most glorious smelling things on the face of the earth.. or the polar opposite.. lol .... and melt your eyebrows right off ... lol .. [i mean really.. what a life.. sleep for 4 hours or so.. wake up bawling.. someone sticks something in your mouth .. suck till your belly is full ... sit around giggling for a bit.. mess yourself.. they change you .. and back for another 4 hour nap ... if junkie could work that out with spotted cow.. we would never hear from him.. lol] ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

If you do consider a deciduous, I would agree with Ken's suggested Tri-color Fagus. Those are georgous and they grow a lot quicker than the conifers your are considering.

I'm always envious of those who get to grow them because we cannot grow them in our heat and humidity in Oklahoma.

Mark

Nothing to do at work today, so I decided to play around with photoshop. I think I have it narrowed down between Picea pungens 'Glauca Pendula' or a pure red or purple deciduous tree. By the way, this will be a full sun location

I originally planted this crab because it was supposed to have dark leaves. The leaves start off dark, then fade to green a month later. Plus like I said before, it needs replaced do to the leaves are very small and spaced far apart giving it a naked look.

Here's a redish colored tree... I really like the look. But this tree would need to be a slower grower and maintain the color all season. It could be an Acer or a Fagus. Ken do you have any photos of your tricolor later during the summer months? I saw that picture of yours that looks almost pink which is cool.

{{gwi:682744}}

Here's Picea pungens 'Glauca Pendula'
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the pink fade to cream.. which fades to cripsy brown by the hot heat of late august ... probably drive you crazy ... every plant has its season... and no.. i dont have a pic of that.. i ignore it at that time of year.. not stroll by to take pix.. lol ... i mean really.. one of the spring blast pungens.. is butt ugly after the brilliant push..

do not get confused and think purple plum.. i might come down there and slap you ... i will know the house by the mountain of festering diapers near the curb .... lol ...

copper beach .. is extremely slow for me ... and neat bark ... and there are a few red weeping beeches ... that have vertical dominance ...

dont forget.. you have a lot of stock all over the property.. not long planted.. have you considered moving something from the property ... to fill this space??? .. in other words.. you want to add to your collection.. so you dont want a duplicate.. but why not move the perfect plant here.. and have wider options out back???

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: red weeping beech

Forgot to mention, here's another narrow-ish blue:

Picea pungens 'Skyline'
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Photo taken at Cady Falls Nursery in VT.

According to Don Avery, Greg Williams got the original scions from an old plant at Skyline Nursery in Springfield VT. It grows upright without staking, and does so faster and straighter than traditional 'Glauca Pendula'.

He also mentioned that the skirt would be much larger if it weren't for the perennials he had to accommodate around it.

Cady Falls is a really special nursery if any of you get up to VT. They do not do any mail order.

-Brent

Yeah that would drive me crazy... I had a few light colored Jap maples that I took out... just because my mid summer nearly every leaf was brown. You just never know until you try something out.

Actually, I don't really have anything blue to fit this location. Most of my blues are small ground hugging conifers with the Exception of 'Hoopsii'. Although the perfect color, it would outgrow the space fast. If you look close and I mean very close, you can see the 6" 'Hoopsii' in the photo above Actually, you can't see the plant itself... just the white nursery tag lol. I do have 2 picea pungens 'Sester's Dwarf'. One of them is in a bed by itself that I decided to put on hold for a couple of years. This bed doesn't have an mulch or other trees... just a little dead grass from the roundup I used to outline the bed. This could be another option.

I'm thinking to much about it, I know... but it looks like my options are:

1) Picea pungens 'Sester's Dwarf' (right now it's about 2' tall)
2)Picea pungens 'Glauca Pendula'
3) A red Japanese maple such as Acer palmatum 'Skeeter's broom' or similar. Japanese maples offer the best red colored trees IMO, but I would hate to buy one until I see how my current 6-7 will do over the next few years. 2 of them hate sun, and the rest suffer slight dieback in the winter. So I'm still testing the water on these. I've just never been a fan of other red maples or other trees that may revert to green in the summer like my crab.

Brent - That's a great looking 'Bush's Lace'! It really pops against the red trees in the second pic. This could be one of my favorite trees. Here's my poor little guy. It was planted last spring. I was surprised at how flexible the leader was, I was able to make it straight as an arrow. Notice the green color... last year it started to push and we got an unexpected hard freeze which took care of all the new growth so I couldn't see what color it was going to push. It's one tough plant, it set new buds and hopefully I'll get to see this year.

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Rick- I'd go with the spruce of your choice.

Ken-

"if junkie could work that out with spotted cow.. we would never hear from him..."

"i will know the house by the mountain of festering diapers near the curb"

Oh man, LOL, I'm in tears.

tj

Just a personal taste of mine.that I adhere too.

Never plant your high mounding cultivars out front. They will block anything behind it

Always small in height out front working for taller height as you get deeper into your design with the thought in mind: What's it going to look like in ten years.

Dave

brentm, I have never seen that varietal before. That specimen is gorgeous.

I'll have to do some searching to see if I can find that one.

mark

Dave - I understand that... that's why I'm in need of a slower growing or thinner conifer. I'd be very happy if it could be there 15-20 years before needing removed. But I also want something that's fast enough growing that won't be a 2' x 2' globe in 10 years. Luckily this will be going on the very corner of my house... well in between the garage and the house part. I think it would look good having a conical conifer growing up with the corner of the house... as long as it's a slower grower.... something that grows 1'+ a years would cover up to much of the house, to quick.

What's the growth rate on your Picea pungens 'Sester's dwarf' or what's the size of yours? I'm really leaning towards this only because I have 2 conifers in that bed which I put on hold for a couple of years. It would make more sense to replant them in the beds I'm trying to finish up this spring before I move on to the next beds.

Well everyone, I definitely decided to go ahead with Picea pungens 'Sester's Dwarf'. Mainly because it's free and because I know it has the perfect blue color. Plus I found the picture below of a larger one and mine is still this color. So it should hold its color good. It shouldn't grow as fast as my other pungens... so hopefully it can stay in this spot for a while. I'll be transplanting tomorrow hopefully.

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