I have no idea what the cultivar should look like... that's Picea glauca without a doubt though.

Dax

All are Picea mariana "cv"
? but any are "Nana" maybe "Pygmaea" "Echiniformis" ..
Clément

I'll add some ammo to the chaos with some photos of mystery Picea glauca/Picea mariana cultivars.

Bought as Picea glauca 'Alberta Globe'.

Bought as Picea abies 'Blue Nest'. More recently experts suggested it was Picea mariana 'Echiniformis'.

Bought as Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' and probably the confused plant is Picea mariana 'Nana'.

Bought as Picea glauca 'Echiniformis'.

Sadly, this mystery may be very hard to solve.

It's not that hard to solve this problem, the only thing is that you have to take a good look to the buds and the needles and the plant structure.

All photo's shown here are Picea mariana cultivars and the true Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' is not around...

Can you help additionally Edwin by showing the real Picea glauca 'Echiniformis', 'Nana', etc. so we can compare and learn as well.

I do find it strange that Dax suggests that without a doubt they're Picea glauca and Edwin suggests, unquestionably that they're Picea mariana. While I won't compare your knowledge base, it is curious that two conifer-nuts would have such a different opinion on the true identity of the plant.

Blue Spruce did post a picture of the authentic P.glauca 'Echiniformis',not a million years ago.May we see that again, Mr.BS ?
PS: Could the variable 'bogus' plants be of hybrid origin?
(Mariana X Glauca)???

"Bought as Picea abies 'Blue Nest'. More recently experts suggested it was Picea mariana 'Echiniformis'"

There is a cultivar Picea mariana 'Nana' known as 'Blue Nest Spruce'. Yours looks quite like it.

tj

I compared with this wb of Picea glauca:

Dax

And this one is not true, is it?

Maria

In my opinion, I think you don't have Picea glauca "Echiniformis" in U.S.A.
Clement

Will, in all respects to Dax, the both of us are conifer nuts indeed but I think you can't compare him with me.
I work with conifers now 22 years doing propagating, making orders ready for transport and making catalogues for my formerly boss and now for myself.
I also created my own Pinetum and planted all cultivars from the same family at the same location so I can see the (very small) differences between these.
On the other hand most conifer collecting people are tag collectors, they believe everything what is mentioned on the etiket which isn't always true.
I was also a tag collector for the first 15 years but later on I found out that some plants didn't have the right name and experts like Clément Anthoine, Günther Eschrich and Werner Wüstemeyer came visit me.
They learned me how to look at the plants and not only to look at the tags, how to identefy plants by their needles, buds and smell.
I don't think that Dax don't have these skills yet but he's on the good way to learn these, as mentioned before this will take a long time and as everyone knows he's eager to learn which is very important in my opinion...
So Dax my friend, I hope we will continue talking about conifers at this forum for a long time!!!

About the photo's:
Will, your first and thirth one ('Alberta Globe') are the Picea mariana 'Nana' which is worldwide for sale as Picea glauca 'Echiniformis'.
This mistake was made by Dutch nurserymen and they spread the wrong plant, please don't blame it on me because this was way before I knew what a conifer was ;0)
This is the true Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Alberta Globe'
{{gwi:832579}}

Your second and fourth photo are 2 of a kind, both are Picea mariana 'Ericoides', Picea mariana 'Echiniformis' doesn't exist.
Like Tom said, it's for sale in the U.S. as "Blue Nest Spruce", this name became a cultivarname which isn't possible to do this.
It seems now that you have some duplicates...

Hans, it wasn't only Stephen who showed a photo of the true Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' at this forum, I also did that in the same time and will show it again.
Picea glauca 'Echiniformis'

I received this one 5 years ago from Clément, so he will not discus with me if this is the right one ;0)

Dax showed us a photo of a Picea glauca witches'broom and the needles of this species are much differend then those of the Picea mariana.
Thanks for this photo for comparissing!

Maria, you're right, also your's is a Picea mariana 'Nana'

I think that Clément is also right that there are no true Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' in the U.S.
This is an European cultivar found in France in 1855.

Other Picea mariana dwarf forms are:
'Blue Planet'

This is a witches'broom found in a Picea mariana 'Nana' but is still often sold under Picea glauca 'Blue Planet'

'Dunetta'

'Pumila'

'Pygmaea'

I hope I solved a lot of problems with this info ;0)

Yep, I agree 100%. I'm learning. You couldn't have said it better, Edwin.

Thanks for taking all that time for us.
I will review my only mariana Blue Planet and hope to get a better grasp.

I'll be around! Clement, thanks as well.

Dax

My Picea glauca "Echiniformis" +/- 25 years old.
Clément

I am assuming no one sells the real deal here in the U.S.

Beautiful conifer Clement...

Dave

Thanks a ton both of you(and Dax too), for I know many conifer collectors over here had this confused. Edwin I was comparing Dax's passion to yours, not your experience. It's clear from your seemingly endless information about conifer origins that you have a world class knowledge in that regard. I am guessing Dax scribbles away furiously every time you list notes on origins/years/finders/etc.

I'll happily releable my plants now confident in their identity. Still more mysteries abound in my garden and I shall look towards the experienced help here again some day.

-Will

Thank you Edwin, things become more clear!
I wish you visit Russia some time, and will teach me!

Just goes to show how carefully cultivar-names should be chosen.'Echiniformis' meaning 'Hedgehog-shaped....folks,you should try collecting Cacti,especially the 'Echiniformis'-types...thousands of them around! T.

Picea glauca 'Echiniformis' - true form!