12 inches per year and up to 24 inches per year when young.
When fully mature, Colorado blue spruce trees can reach a width of 15 feet in diameter. With its top-tapering pyramid shape, the Colorado blue spruce grows about a 1/2 inch a year in diameter. As a very large tree, Colorado blue spruce requires significant spacing for it to thrive. Plant the trees between 15 and 20 feet apart for optimal growing conditions. Growth Rate. Although Colorado blue spruce may grow slowly in the first few years after planting, its growth rate picks up once it's established. Its growth rate is moderate to quick, so some trees may grow a scant 12 inches a year while others may grow upward of 24 inches in a single growing season. The Colorado blue spruce is a slow grower, developing between 6 to 12 inches of new growth each year. In situations where special care is given, the tree can grow upwards of 2 feet each year, according to the Idaho Forest Products Commission. Blue spruce evergreen trees (Picea pungens) grow wild in Western North America in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. This erect tree produces blue-green evergreen needles that are sharp to the touch. Blue spruces reach 30 to 65 feet tall, spreading 10 to 20 feet wide. Size. The blue spruce generally doesn't grow as large under cultivated conditions as it does in the wild. Under the best circumstances in the garden, you can expect it to hit about 65 feet, with a width of 10 to 20 feet. In the wild, however, the tree may grow as tall as 100 feet or more. 'Fat Albert' Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens 'Fat Albert,' USDA zones 3 through 7) grows about 12 inches per year, reaching a height of 10 feet and width of 7 feet in 10 years. Its mature size is 10 to 15 feet tall and 7 to 10 feet wide. Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens. One of our most popular ornamental conifers, the Colorado blue spruce (or simply, blue spruce) is a truly magnificent sight. Perhaps Donald Culrose Peattie described it best in A Natural History of Western Trees. Colorado blue spruce, also called blue spruce (Picea pungens) grows at a slow to medium rate of less than 12 inches per year and up to 24 inches per year when young. It can take 35 to 50 years for a Colorado blue spruce to grow 30 to 50 feet.
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