Harsh winters like this one that we have experienced this year are a good test for judging the merits of evergreen trees. Fat Albert Blue Spruce is a tough and incredibly beautiful selection of Colorado Blue Spruce that is sure to receive test marks that put it at the head of the class.
Fat Albert Blue Spruce is known first and foremost for its consistently excellent blue needle color. While common seedling grown Colorado Spruce vary widely in coloration from green to blue and every shade in between, every Fat Albert Blue Spruce is the same lovely shimmering blue.
Excellent resistance to winter burn is another outstanding trait of Fat Albert Blue Spruce. You’ve probably noticed some other varieties of evergreen trees showing quite a bit of brown in April and May after a winter with a long stretch of uninterrupted snow cover like the winter of 2013-2014. This browning is called winterburn. Fat Albert Blue Spruce rarely show any winterburn, providing a really nice appearance year around.
Fat Albert Blue Spruce do best in areas with full sun and good drainage. Avoid planting Fat Albert Blue Spruce in soggy ground. Pick areas with good air movement for your Fat Albert Blue Spruce, as this will help to avoid fungus diseases on the needles.
While some nurseries have in the past listed the mature size of Fat Albert Blue Spruce as only 15′ to 30′ tall but my observation indicates it will grow larger, probably 40′-50′ tall by 20′-30′ wide, so give them a little extra elbow room when you arrange your planting lay-out.
If you plant Fat Albert Blue Spruce into a special place in your landscape, you can count on them becoming one of your favorite tree varieties. Until it’s time to plant, kick back and enjoy the unfolding of spring. When new life surges back into long dormant plants it always feels to me like a miracle. What a thrill!
