I didn't figure this would go anywhere, but you never know.

I got a 6 gal. on order from Buchholtz for April 2012 delivery.

I just might have to answer my own request in April assuming I get delivery.

Dave

dc, do you order direct or through a "friend"?

A friend at a nursery I worked for part time.

Dave

Dave, I'm very curious how this 'Blue Sky' looks like.
Please show us a pic of it when you'll receive it.
Buchholz discription says that it will be a narrow pillar at maturity.

Raretree Nursery, U.S. mentioned that it will grow into a broadly conical form which is quite differend then the Buchholz discription...see the link

I'm only familiar with one with the same characteristics as Buchholz mentioned under the cultivar name 'Kouty' which is found by the Holata nursery from the Czech Republic.
This is the most narrow form I've came across...

Here is a link that might be useful: Picea omorika 'Blue Sky'

Edwin,

I saw that.

I would be more inclined to go with Buchholz description. I did some checking before I made the commitment to add this one to my garden. Narrow pillars make the best focal point cultivars when you have limited space.

Dave

I'll call Buchholz myself to reaffirm that their description is correct.

The fact we don't have a photo leaves us with two options as to growth habit.

I am hoping is a narrow pillar otherwise I can't use it.

Picea omorika 'Kouty' a superb specimen would be to large, width wise, in time for my garden.

Thanks for the photo.

Dave

Dave, Buchholz description didn't mention that the 'Blue Sky' is a dwarf, only that it will grow into a narrow pillar with light blue needles.

Raretree Nursery pics makes me believe it's not that narrow as the 'Kouty' is.
If the 'Kouty' is to large and width for you at a later age, you can forget about the 'Blue Sky'...

Edwin,

You are probably correct but I still want to call them and verify growth habit one way or another.

In my book anything growing into a narrow pillar/column should look like Picea abies 'Compressiania' for example.

If this is not the case with 'Blue Sky' then I am not interested.

I don't know if this is a new offering or not. Why no photo or so little information on the cultivar is not available is a mystery. The one I am buying is grown in a 6 gal. container. Old enough to have some representation in the conifer world. It's hard for me to believe Buchholz doesn't know the growing habit of this cultivar.

More on this later.

Dave

Dave, Please keep us informed, I'm very curious about this one for sure :0)

It could be very interesting to if you can also call Raretree Nursery for some more info and may be they can also provide you more pics.

Btw Picea abies 'Compressiana' is a misspelling for what is Picea abies 'Cupressina'...

I have been growing Picea omorika 'Blue Sky' for about four years now. My original scions came from Buchholz Nursery. 'Blue Sky' is not narrow growing, it grows about 10" a year at my nursery in Oregon. I would consider it to be a aggressive grower.

Hi Florafun, I'm reading here that you're a collegue nurseryman.
Do you've a website so I can see what you're growing?

Thanks for the 'Blue Sky' info, it was exactly what I had in mind...

Any picture yet?

-Sam

Picea omorika 'Blue Sky'

Closeup with some shade/light so you can judge the color for yourself. Seems VERY large growing and certainly not narrow.

-Will

That's purdy, and very rapidly-growing!
Gonna run out of space next year...

-Sam

Will, imo the 'Blue Sky' is the same one as the Picea x 'Troemer', which is a cross between Picea omorika and Picea pungens 'Koster'.

Very interesting you think that Edwin, I had the same notion when I studied the photo closer. I felt as though I had seen it before... Then I went back into my photo database.

Picea X Troemer, photo taken 2009.

Now I have no history behind Picea omorika 'Blue Sky' and cannot presume it *is* the same plant, but the similarities are striking and obvious.

I will do some research and get back to this thread if I recover any info!

-Will

I'm by no mean an expert at this but I have both and I don't think they're the same although my "Blue Sky" is quite small, but one thing I've noticed is that the spring flush of "Blue Sky" is very colourful, being variegated (I don't know to what I would compare it).The mature foliage seems greener than "Troemer", on top at least...

Dan

Dan, thanks for your info.
Please can you show us some pics of both your specimens?
This can help us in our investigation.
Thanks in advance!

It's Picea x 'Troemner', Edwin. ;-)

-Sam

Yep, you're right, named after Allan Troemner :0)

Picea x 'Troemner' doesn't say nothing to me.
I prefer Picea omorika x Picea pungens 'Troemner'
In this way it's clear which the parents are of this plant.

I looked again this morning and noticed that Blue Sky has a glaucous hue underneath the needles as well as a very thin white line in the middle and the stem is greener(picture #1 and #2) While Troemner is plain green underneath and the stem is tan(picture #3 and #4). Like I said earlier, my Blue Sky had a creamy yellowish colour on its spring shoots while Troemner was more like chartreuse(no picture, sorry). Otherwise, they do look much alike.

Dan

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Dr DNA, thanks for your pics!
As your name suggests, you're also an expert in DNA, can you also compare the DNA of both specimens to see if they're differend?

Will, do you've the same differences on your specimens or are your's the same?
Please could you cut off some samples for comparison and show us some pics of it?
The best way is both scions next to eachother at the same pic.
Many thanks in advance!

2 quiestions, no answers...

Will can you cut off a scion of both plants and put them on a white piece of paper and then take a pic for us?
Thanks!

Better to shoot this in sunny or cloudy weather Edwin, or does it matter as long as I have white paper behind them?

Will, the most important thing is to see these 2 scions next to eachother on a neutral underground...
Just like this:

Better late than never I suppose. Life's kept my busy, and in a good way. Here's what you asked for Edwin BUT, and a HUGE BUT, I'd say something odd here is going on. My specimen of Picea omorika x Picea pungens 'Troemner' continued to grow wildly and enormously, even on the side branches, while my specimen of 'Blue Sky' from Rare Tree nursery put out very small growth, and more curiously the needles were smaller than I remember as well. You can see in the photos, the two plants now look nothing like each other and especially the needles are about as different as they could be...

Picea omorika 'Blue Sky'(from Rare Tree/Conifer Kingdom) on the right in this photo. Tiny needles...

And the two plants in their entirety:

Picea omorika 'Blue Sky'

Unfortunately I have no reason to explain the differences in growth rates, as my specimen of 'Blue Sky' last year put out 6-10 inches of growth(15-25 cm+) and yet this year maybe 2-4 inches, even on the terminal leader. There was no digging in the area to disturb roots, no real summer drought, no pesticide applications, nothing. It just didn't grow fast this year...

I'll leave the riddling to the experts, but I think my evidence would strongly suggest they are different.

-Will

Isn't Blue Sky a hybrid of P. pungens and omorika?

Will,

More times than not a plant that suddenly declines in growth (as compared to the same species in the vicinity) means it may possible be substantially pot bound. Another clue may be the off color of the scion you're showing us. Just a suggestion!

Thanks Will for your time and effort.
Unfortunately this is a bad comparison because something happend to your 'Blue Sky'.
Maybe it has some root problems which is the cause of it's weak growth.
As we can see it had some better times when it made some nice vigerous shoots...