Very often in parks and gardens you can meet the American spruce angelman. Due to the unusual shade of needles, it is used to decorate the garden. Also, many prefer to buy this particular type of tree for the New Year to create an unusual atmosphere in the house. This article will describe how the individual varieties of this species look and the features of caring for them.
Botanical description of the species
Engelman spruce belongs to the evergreen crops, despite the unusual blue color of the needles. In nature, the plant is found in mixed and coniferous forests, as well as on rocky areas. Life expectancy is not less than 500 years. Some varieties can grow up to 50 m.
Did you know? Living spruce is able to clean the air from viruses and dust. Therefore, it is recommended to use not an artificial tree, but a real one for the New Year holidays.
Crohn's plants are compact, scaly in structure. The bark has a light brown color, which gives a reddish tint closer to autumn. Needles have a tetrahedral structure. Cones resemble the shape of a cylinder. By mid-September, seeds suitable for spring planting fully ripen in them.
Top 5 popular varieties of Picea engelmannii
Spruce Picea engelmannii is very common in garden areas. Many people use it to decorate their own summer cottages, creating a hedge. Some people prefer to plant several bushes as long as they give shade to the terrace. There are several varieties of this species. All of them have both similarities and some differences among themselves. Therefore, every gardener will be able to pick up the variety that fits perfectly into its landscape design.
Glauca
Description of the Glauka species:
- decorative tall tree that grows up to 15 m;
- conical crown reaches a diameter of 4 m;
- the needles are not long, only 2 cm. It has a rich blue hue;
- cones are cylindrical in shape. Their length is about 5 cm. In ripened form they are presented in a saturated brown shade.
Variety Glauca is resistant to frost (up to -32 ° C). It prefers to grow in areas illuminated by the sun's rays, however, it can develop in partial shade. Planting should be carried out on nutritious, moistened and drained loams. Care for young trees of the Glauk variety consists in regular watering (with an interval of 1 week) and sprinkling of the crown.
Adult plants are resistant to drought, so you can irrigate the soil 2 times a month. Organics (10 kg per 1 m²) is introduced in the spring, and in the fall, superphosphate (50 g per 1 bush) is used for top dressing. Shelter for the winter is necessary only for young plants, whose age is 1-2 years. After that, it is enough to mulch the soil with straw.
Important! Do not forget about sanitary pruning, on which the tree's lifespan depends. Branches affected by frost or disease take a lot of nutrients.
Bush’s lace
The Bush Leys variety is characterized by the following parameters:
- crown of a weeping pyramidal shape;
- the maximum height of the tree, at the age of 10 years, is 4 m;
- in diameter, the plant is compact, only 1 m;
- needles of a bright blue shade, up to 2 cm long;
- during flowering, cones are formed on the plant, up to 3 cm long. They have a rich brown color.
Care for this variety consists of watering and feeding. This coniferous crop tolerates drought, so you can water it once a month. It is enough to pour 30 liters of water under each bush so that the Bush’s Lace variety develops without stopping.
Bush Lays need to be fed in the same way as the Glaucus variety. The plant does not need to form a crown and shelter for the winter. It is enough to remove dry and damaged branches once a year. Resistance to frost is high. Trees withstand cooling to -40 ° C.
Pendula
The description of the Pendula variety, which refers to the species of spruce Engelman, is as follows:
- narrow-conic crown;
- tree height, at the age of 25 years, about 12 m;
- in diameter, the plant can reach 3 m;
- annual growth of about 25 cm;
- needles of a gray-blue shade.
A variety of Pendula has high winter hardiness. She is not afraid of frosts reaching -42 ° C. She is not whimsical in leaving. Given its resistance to drought, you can water the plants no more than once a month. In the process, you need to water each tree with 20 liters of water. Top dressing is applied in the same way as in the case of other varieties.
Did you know? The oldest spruce grows in Sweden. Locals nicknamed it Old Tikko, and the tree is at least 9 thousand years old.
Landing must be carried out in well-lit areas. Do not forget to cut branches damaged by frost and disease so that they do not slow down the growth of conifers. This species does not need shelter for the winter; it is enough to mulch the near-trunk circle with sawdust.
Video: Pendula spruce
Snake
The Snake variety is characterized by the following parameters:
- the crown is discharged, pyramidal;
- tree height no more than 14 m, with a diameter of about 2.5 m;
- annual growth is 26 cm;
- needles of a light blue shade, long;
- small cones are formed on the shoots, the length of which is no more than 1.5 cm. They have a pleasant light brown color.
Grade Snake is often used as a tapeworm. This variety needs constant loosening of the soil and moderate watering. If moisture stagnates in the soil, then the plant will slow down in development and may eventually die (due to rotting of the roots). Water the crop 1 time per week, using 12 liters of water per 1 tree.
Important! As a protection against winter frosts, the trunk circle is covered with spruce branches (with a layer of about 15 cm).
Grade Snake is demanding on top dressing. Therefore, in spring and autumn, you need to make complex mineral fertilizers. The best recommended "Agrekol" (100 g per 10 l of water). It is necessary to form a crown in the fall, cutting off 1/3 of the shoots. 5 years after planting, the branches are cut in half to restart the development of the tree.
Hesse
The varietal features of Hesse are as follows:
- slow-growing coniferous culture;
- throughout life, the tree grows only 13 m;
- annual growth of only 7 cm;
- the needles are characterized by a silver-blue tint, the length is not more than 2 cm;
- the cone-shaped crown reaches a diameter of 1.5 m.
Variety Hesse needs high-quality and plentiful watering, with an interval of 1 week. At least 15 liters of water are poured under each bush. You also need to irrigate the crown to wash away pests and dust. Culture does not need top dressing.
We must not forget about the need for sanitary scraps, which are recommended in early spring. In autumn, you need to mulch the tree trunk circle with sawdust or spruce branches. This procedure will allow the tree to survive winter frosts, because winter hardiness is not high (only up to -20 ° C).
Other varieties of wood
Other varieties of the species Picea engelmanii can also be noted:
- Talbot. It is characterized by a spherical crown. During the year, the plant grows only 3 cm. The needles have a pleasant silver-blue color.
- Blue harbor. This variety can reach a height of 17 m. The crown is cone-shaped, with a diameter of only 1 m. The needles are of a pleasant color, reminiscent of a sea wave.
So, now you know what are the most popular varieties of the species Engelman spruce. All of them have a beautiful appearance, therefore they will not leave indifferent any person who sees them. The great popularity of this species is due to the fact that the needles have not the usual green color, but silver-blue.
