C O L O R A D O B L U E S P R U C E
The Colorado blue spruce has evergreen needles that are 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long. The needles are stiff, very sharp, and stick straight out of the twig. They are a silvery blue to a dark green color with a strong acidic taste. This tree has cones that are 2 to 4 inches long and are cylindrical with a light brown color. The scales on the cone are flexible and pointed and the cones mature in the fall. The twigs are stout when comparing them to other spruces and tan in color. The Bark is gray to a red-brown color and the young tress have small thin scales while the older trees are still scaly but have shallow furrows. The Colorado blue spruce in a medium to large tree with pyramidal shape. |
Ethnobotany
The Colorado blue spruce is a gymnosperm whose scientific name is picea pungens glauca. The Navajo and Keres Native Americans used and still use this tree as a traditional medicinal plant and as well as a ceremonial item. Their twigs are given as gifts to bring good fortune. An infusion of the needles is used to cure colds and settle the stomach. This liquid is also used externally to relieve different pains.
Colorado blue spruces are strikingly beautiful and very bushy with a silvery look to them. They are sometimes used to plant in front of houses for decoration because of their beauty. They are even sometimes planted to make a barrier. Some people use the barrier for privacy along with ornamental use.
These types are trees are commonly used for traditional purposes. Many around the world use this type of tree in their home for traditions. The most common tradition and the Colorado blue spruce is use for is Christmas. Many use it for a Christmas tree and decorate it in their home around Christmas time.
Current Research
Distinguishing the Colorado blue spruce can be difficult. There are other trees that look similar and they also have overlapping areas in which they tend to grow (H. Marco 2000). One can generally distinguish the difference of a Colorado blue spruce compared to other trees because of it color (H. Marco 2000). Picea pungens glauca tend to have a blue green color to them with a silvery tint (H. Marco 2000). The needles on this tree tend to be thicker and more keenly pointed compared to other trees specifically the englemann spruce which looks the closest to a colorado blue spruce (H. Marco 2000). Taking a closer look the Colorado blue spruce has canals that run all the way though the needle while the endlemann spruce does not (H. Marco 2000).
Environmental changes are always occurring and some species are affected more than others. When comparing the Colorado bluespruce to the Norway spruce from the same area, pollution and climatic differences are apparent (J. Soukupová, J. Rock,& J. Albrechtová 2001). Because of the Colorado blue spruce having different needles than the Norway spruce and other spruces, they are less vulnerable to air pollution (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001). However there was no difference “in the degree of cell damage was recorded” (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001). “Although concentrations of chlorophyll, carotenoids and their ratios were similar, lignification and phenolic accumulation was
greater in Norway spruce” (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001). Observations and experiments suggest “an
age-dependent increase in needle damage of both species” (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001).
Although the Colorado blue spruce is suffering from environmental changes, experiments suggest that there is hope for them. A study was done to detect several nutrient treatments to “maintain or enhance the growth” of the Colorado bluespruce (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). “Trunk diameters and tree heights were measured and foliar samples for nutrient analyses were collected” before the treatments were applied (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd& J. Van Wagoner 2007). In the beginning the Colorado blue spruce showed no signs of change until the second growing period (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). The trees that received the “compost: bark or fertilizer spike treatments grew at least 70% or 36% taller (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). The trees that received other treatments by the end of the second growing season “in a managed landscape” showed little to no change (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). Although all nutrient treatments failed to promote increases in tree heights and trunk diameters, the compost: bark mixture spiked growth improved “foliar nutrition during this time” (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007).
Creative Writing
People love me but not for very many reasons. I do help relive stomach pains and help cure the cold but other than that people just love me cause I'm beautiful. They use me for traditional and ornamental purposes. Every year they dress me up in long strings of warmth along with handfuls of bright, colorful, and sometimes heavy objects. They spread them through out my arms and always put the heaviest object on my head. Once I'm decorated people just love to stare at me and smile. They take pictures and even put important boxes under me so I can keep them safe. They call me the Christmas tree.
Even though I'm greatly loved by everyone, still people get my confused with the englemann spruce which is ridiculous because we look nothing alike. I am thicker and have pointier needles while the englemann spruce does not. I also has a blue green color with a silvery tint. It hurts that people won't take a second look before judging me. It also hurts that because of global warming I'm being effected and no one really notices or tries to do anything about it
References
Marco, H. F. (2000). Needle Structure as an Aid in Distinguishing Colorado Blue Spruce from Engelmann Spruce. Botanical Gazette, (4), 446. doi:10.2307/2471407
Soukupová, J. J., Rock, B. N., & Albrechtová, J. J. (2001). Comparative study of two spruce species in a polluted mountainous region. New Phytologist,150(1), 133-145. doi:10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00066.x
Tripepi, R. R., George, M. W., Linskey, K., Lloyd, J. E., & Van Wagoner, J. L. (2007). Nutrient Treatments Used on Field-harvested Colorado Spruce Trees to Maintain Postharvest Quality. Hortscience, 42(7), 1705-1709.
United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service. (Photographs). Retrieved October 10, 2013, from: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=pipu
The Colorado blue spruce is a gymnosperm whose scientific name is picea pungens glauca. The Navajo and Keres Native Americans used and still use this tree as a traditional medicinal plant and as well as a ceremonial item. Their twigs are given as gifts to bring good fortune. An infusion of the needles is used to cure colds and settle the stomach. This liquid is also used externally to relieve different pains.
Colorado blue spruces are strikingly beautiful and very bushy with a silvery look to them. They are sometimes used to plant in front of houses for decoration because of their beauty. They are even sometimes planted to make a barrier. Some people use the barrier for privacy along with ornamental use.
These types are trees are commonly used for traditional purposes. Many around the world use this type of tree in their home for traditions. The most common tradition and the Colorado blue spruce is use for is Christmas. Many use it for a Christmas tree and decorate it in their home around Christmas time.
Current Research
Distinguishing the Colorado blue spruce can be difficult. There are other trees that look similar and they also have overlapping areas in which they tend to grow (H. Marco 2000). One can generally distinguish the difference of a Colorado blue spruce compared to other trees because of it color (H. Marco 2000). Picea pungens glauca tend to have a blue green color to them with a silvery tint (H. Marco 2000). The needles on this tree tend to be thicker and more keenly pointed compared to other trees specifically the englemann spruce which looks the closest to a colorado blue spruce (H. Marco 2000). Taking a closer look the Colorado blue spruce has canals that run all the way though the needle while the endlemann spruce does not (H. Marco 2000).
Environmental changes are always occurring and some species are affected more than others. When comparing the Colorado bluespruce to the Norway spruce from the same area, pollution and climatic differences are apparent (J. Soukupová, J. Rock,& J. Albrechtová 2001). Because of the Colorado blue spruce having different needles than the Norway spruce and other spruces, they are less vulnerable to air pollution (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001). However there was no difference “in the degree of cell damage was recorded” (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001). “Although concentrations of chlorophyll, carotenoids and their ratios were similar, lignification and phenolic accumulation was
greater in Norway spruce” (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001). Observations and experiments suggest “an
age-dependent increase in needle damage of both species” (J. Soukupová, J. Rock, & J. Albrechtová 2001).
Although the Colorado blue spruce is suffering from environmental changes, experiments suggest that there is hope for them. A study was done to detect several nutrient treatments to “maintain or enhance the growth” of the Colorado bluespruce (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). “Trunk diameters and tree heights were measured and foliar samples for nutrient analyses were collected” before the treatments were applied (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd& J. Van Wagoner 2007). In the beginning the Colorado blue spruce showed no signs of change until the second growing period (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). The trees that received the “compost: bark or fertilizer spike treatments grew at least 70% or 36% taller (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). The trees that received other treatments by the end of the second growing season “in a managed landscape” showed little to no change (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007). Although all nutrient treatments failed to promote increases in tree heights and trunk diameters, the compost: bark mixture spiked growth improved “foliar nutrition during this time” (R. Tripepi, M. George, K Linskey, J. Lloyd & J. Van Wagoner 2007).
Creative Writing
People love me but not for very many reasons. I do help relive stomach pains and help cure the cold but other than that people just love me cause I'm beautiful. They use me for traditional and ornamental purposes. Every year they dress me up in long strings of warmth along with handfuls of bright, colorful, and sometimes heavy objects. They spread them through out my arms and always put the heaviest object on my head. Once I'm decorated people just love to stare at me and smile. They take pictures and even put important boxes under me so I can keep them safe. They call me the Christmas tree.
Even though I'm greatly loved by everyone, still people get my confused with the englemann spruce which is ridiculous because we look nothing alike. I am thicker and have pointier needles while the englemann spruce does not. I also has a blue green color with a silvery tint. It hurts that people won't take a second look before judging me. It also hurts that because of global warming I'm being effected and no one really notices or tries to do anything about it
References
Marco, H. F. (2000). Needle Structure as an Aid in Distinguishing Colorado Blue Spruce from Engelmann Spruce. Botanical Gazette, (4), 446. doi:10.2307/2471407
Soukupová, J. J., Rock, B. N., & Albrechtová, J. J. (2001). Comparative study of two spruce species in a polluted mountainous region. New Phytologist,150(1), 133-145. doi:10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00066.x
Tripepi, R. R., George, M. W., Linskey, K., Lloyd, J. E., & Van Wagoner, J. L. (2007). Nutrient Treatments Used on Field-harvested Colorado Spruce Trees to Maintain Postharvest Quality. Hortscience, 42(7), 1705-1709.
United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service. (Photographs). Retrieved October 10, 2013, from: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=pipu