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kathy_il

Picea pungens 'Royal Knight' vs 'Blue Diamond'

kathy_il
9 years ago

Went to the local nursery and found Picea pungens 'Blue Diamond' and Picea pungens 'Royal Knight'. From what I've read 'Royal Knight' shapes itself unlike 'Hoopsi' and is more grey blue. I've read that it grows fast for a spruce but there are some posts that contradict that. 'Blue Diamond' comes from Europe and descriptions indicate it's not as large. Can anyone share their experience with Royal Knight or Blue Diamond particularly comparisons to Hoopsi?

Comments (11)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    From what I've read 'Royal Knight' shapes itself unlike 'Hoopsi' and is more grey blue.

    ==>>>

    my RK is in full dark shade... it has been rather ball shaped..forever...

    i would not say it grows with vigor in dark shade .. but it hasnt died in 12 years ...

    in the shade it is the greyer blue as you note ...

    i dont understand your hoopsi comment.. both of mine have grown in perfect xmas tree shape forever ...

    no info from me on BD ... but do note.. that if it is European ... i am surprised it has an English name ..

    do you mail order??? ... if not.. why not ...

    ken

  • kathy_il
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Mail order? Where we're located, it's the only way to get what we want. The 'Royal Knight' and 'Blue Diamond' question was one not from a 'buying' but from a 'want to know' perspective. There are so many blue Picea pungens that it's difficult to distinguish between them and I'm obsessed enough to want to do so. My Hoopsi has never needed to be shaped either, but from online descriptions I thought perhaps the shaping was done before the 4' we got it at.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    being an 'anything blue for the garden freak' ...... it took me a decade to stop fixating on buying more blue spruces ...

    in your other post.. i listed a multitude of blue plants.. beyond picea pungens ... and your response.. lol.. was to start a new post on more picea pungens...

    oh how you are living my past life... lol ... and i hope you had as much fun as i did ....

    ken

  • kathy_il
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Nah, my response then was to place an order with Coenosium for a Picea englemannii .... oh, and a Picea pungens 'Aubie's Spreader'...lol.

  • sc77 (6b MA)
    9 years ago

    If you want blue like Hoopsi (maybe bluer), but with consistant , predictable shape go for Picea pungens 'Edith'... If you search in the US, Porterhowse & Coenosium are the only two I know of that sell it. But they list it as 'Edit', rather than 'Edith'. This cultivar has a history of debate about the correct name. It was concluded it should be 'Edith', but Bob, Don, and even Conifer Kingdom all still list it as 'Edit'

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    i have hoopsi ... thomsen .. and a 3rd version.. of which i am blanking on ... ah..otto von Bismarck

    and i have seen edit at Gee Tree ..

    frankly.. i cant tell them apart.. and i doubt most of us could.. growing right next to each other ...

    and that is where 'name collecting' become a problem ... and trust me on that.. lol.. from a guy who bought 1500 different named hosta.. before he realize.. he was collecting names.. rather than unique plants .... what a maroon ... as bugs once said ...

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: and i am speaking of myself ...

  • kathy_il
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    We got Edith three years ago. This year it's put out some lateral growth. Very nice silver blue. It'll be interesting to see how it develops.

    Ken, every time I wear my Bugs shirt that video is going to come to mind. Yikes!

  • mmajicmann
    9 years ago

    hoopsii, royal knight....baby blue eyes in back :)

  • mmajicmann
    9 years ago

    another view

  • kathy_il
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Mmagicmann, what great trees! Looking at the three it appears that Royal Knight is denser than the other two or is it older? Is Hoopsi a brighter blue or does the interior density of RK take away from the brightness of the blue? Do you have a personal preference? Thanks for the pictures :-)

  • mmajicmann
    9 years ago

    thnx kathy.... RK approx 12', is about 5 years older... its new growth a little less this year shows more interior darkness than other years... the Hoopsii 7', is likely to be less wide and its blue is more vivid....especially in overcast or foggy light....'must have' blue conifer! hoping my blues are in a dry enough site to do well in new hampshire.

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