Engelmann Spruce

Picea engelmannii (Pinaceae) is a large evergreen conifer native to the mountains of western North America from British Columbia and Alberta south through the Rocky Mountain states to Arizona and New Mexico. It reaches 80 to 100 feet tall, forming a narrow, dense spire. The blue-green needles are aromatic when crushed. The species grows at high elevations, typically from 5,000 to 12,000 feet.

Engelmann spruce tolerates boggy soils and cold conditions that few other conifers can handle. It requires cool summers and struggles in lowland heat. The species hybridizes with white spruce (P. glauca) where their ranges overlap. Documented problems overlap with other spruces: adelgids, needle cast, and rust diseases. Hardy in Zones 2a to 8b.