Douglas County Conservation District                                                                         ~Helping People Help the Land~                                                                                                            

by promoting projects through education to further the long- term sustainable   use of natural resources balancing the needs of agriculture and urban growth

                

                                                                            PO Box 688, 7519 E. Hwy 86, Franktown, CO 80116

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Engelmann Spruce
Picea engelmannii               

Wildlife Value

Food value for grouse, and various finches including crossbills, siskins, and nuthatches and by gray squirrels.  Provide excellent nesting, roosting, and winter cover for numerous small birds.  Deer will browse on blue spruce although it is not a preferred forage.  Native to western United States and Canada.

Growth form  conical to spirelike
Crown density dense
Size 70 to 90' high
15 to 30' spread
Drought
resistance		 very good
Cold hardiness excellent
Growth rate slow
Life span long
Elevation
range		 8,000 to 11,000 feet
Soil
conditions		 grows best in subalpine zone
Possible insect
problems		 spruce barkbeetle, spruce budworm
Possible disease 
problems		 root rot, spruce broom rust
Wildlife value high:  food value for grouse, songbirds and small mammals, browse for deer and elk
Seasonal color evergreen
Miscellany native; intolerant of direct sun, requires shade