Utah State Tree - Blue Spruce

The blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm) was chosen by the Utah State Legislature in 1933 to be the state tree. The tree is found in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains at elevations between 6,000 to 11,000 feet (Utah Code). It can be transplanted successfully and is widely used as an ornamental tree. Its foliage is generally silvery blue in color and has the ability to withstand temperature extremes.

The four-angled needles of the blue spruce are from 3/4 to 1 1/8 inches long and are dull blue green. This large tree has gray or brown bark that is furrowed into scaly ridges. Cones are from 2 1/2 to 4 inches long and are light brown with long, thin, irregularly toothed scales.

The blue spruce is also the State Tree of Colorado. The USDA Symbol is PIPU.

Utah's Blue Spruce

• Blue Spruce (Bryce Canyon National Park, National Park Service))

Additional Links:

• Picea pungens Engelm: Blue Spruce (The PLANTS Database, Natural Resources Conservation Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture)
• Picea pungens Engelm: Blue Spruce (Native Plant Database, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin)