It looks like Picea glehnii...

Resin will undoubtedly know.

-Sam

Looks more like Picea mariana, which matches well on the short, bicoloured foliage. The lack of cones is suspicious though - it is normally very prolofic at coning, as in the pic below. Another possibility, though unlikely due to rarity, is Picea glehnii.

Picea mariana:
{{gwi:648877}}

Resin

"It looks like Picea glehnii...

Resin will undoubtedly know.

-Sam"

Appeared while I was still typing!

The first one that came to my mind too - glehnii ..... But I have not seen it "live" - only in pictures ...:)

I will wait Resin thoughts...

Very nice tree.... I like it shoots a lot. Like little fingers:)

Ireena

This gardener has been on an expedition to the Sakhalin island ... 30-40 years ago. He is very old ... From Sakhalin he brought the seeds of Pinus pumila. This will be his selection -
Pinus pumila 'Tonu'

That's why I thought glehnii .... Because he has brought a lot to his garden. Is he can remember exactly all:)

There was no one cone...

Ireena

Picea purpurea ,
Clement

Synonim is Picea likiangensis var. purpurea? But maybe it is Picea likiangensis var. rubescens?

Ireena

Picea likiangensis var. rubescens

Picea likiangensis var.purpurea

Picea likiangensis var.purpurea

Ireena

If he's been to Sakhalin, then it's Picea glehnii - that's where it comes from. Lucky s*d! It's a very rare tree in cultivation in Europe, e.g. not more than a handful of collections in Britain have it (though the Kilmun Forest Plots in SW Scotland do have two small experimental plantations of it).

PS
Picea likiangensis var. rubescens is a synonym of Picea balfouriana

Picea likiangensis var. purpurea is a synonym of Picea purpurea

Resin

Yes, Picea purpurea listed in the past Picea likiangensis var purpurea.
However you show Picea likiangensis var.purpurea but they look like Picea balfouriana (= Picea likiangensis var balfouriana in the past).
Picea likiangensis var. rubescens = (Picea balfouriana = Picea likiangensis var balfouriana)showed here are Picea purpurea
Clement

Hi Clement - I think you're right with the last two pics being Picea balfouriana. But the first one (from www.cfh.ac.cn) is Picea balfouriana too, the cones are too long for Picea purpurea.

Resin

This post was edited by pineresin on Wed, Nov 28, 12 at 16:54

In the spring I will need to go to him again - for scions... Whether it is glehnii or likiangensis, it is beautiful ... Then again I can to make sure - what it is.

Ireena

I'm sorry I can't help id your plant, but I thought I would send one of a Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana we grow here. It was moved recently so looks slightly bedraggled but other than a slow growth rate does well for us.

Mcpotts, your's is not a Picea balfouriana, it looks more like a Picea abies to me.

This is a true Picea balfouriana
{{gwi:845614}}

Again, I confirm my first idea about the 3 first photos.
Picea purpurea ! With the needles close to the twig.
For Picea glehnii the needles are upturned :

Does seeing the cones confirm your thought that it is an abies?

"Does seeing the cones confirm your thought that it is an abies?"

Picea purpurea

Resin

Thank you, Clement and Resin!

Indeed, I can clearly see the difference in your picture. It is not defined glehnii.... As much as I'd like:) I am just confused the Sakhalin ..... That he brought it from there. But probably there grew a purpurea too:)

But I've learned a lot - I've look a huge amount of books:)

Ireena