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 |