Hello gti,

I'll give you the quick answer here. Picea pungens 'Hoopsi' is a selected variant of Colorado Blue Spruce that has specific qualities that some feel make it superior to the normal species plant. These qualities can only be recreated through vegetative propagation (grafting, rooting cuttings, or tissue culture). Grafting is overwhelmingly the easiest process here.

If one were to plant seeds, there would be enough genetic variability to the resulting seedlings that they could never properly be called 'Hoopsi.'

Thanks for asking. I hope this helps answer your question.
~Dave

Picea pungens... can be grown from seed ... commonly known as a 'blue' spruce' ... it will give a certain percentage of blue seedlings ... none of which will be the selected version known as hoopsi ...

if you want hoopsi.. you have to get a piece of the original hoopsi ... with roots attached ... and that is done thru grafting ... i am not aware that Picea pungens can be rooted .... [though i wouldnt be surprised of some dwarf or mini can be.. but we arent asked about those]

all hoopsi are EXACTLY the original hoopsi ...

just like your mom and dad can not create an exact duplicate of themselves thru pollination and the vagaries of DNA ... neither can you replicate hoopsi thru seed ... MAYBE you will get something that looks the same .. .. might even come up with something better... if you grow out a couple million seeds for a decade or two ... but whatever you get.. it will not be.. and you can call it.. hoopsi ... you would then name it: Picea pungens 'GTI boy's Folly' .... or some such ...

ken