Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 Saugus gardens in the pandemic Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener T he new tree planted in the rotary, already sporting red bows, is one of the most popular North American evergreens, Colorado spruce (Picea pungens). Despite being native to the Rocky Mountains and not to the eastern part of the country, it has been widely planted in parks and gardens in New England and is familiar to almost everyone. Many people know it as “blue spruce” but there is quite a range of needle colors from green to blue – some trees are so green they have no hint of blue, while others so blue you wonder if it could be real. In addition to being widely planted in the landscape, this species is popular as a cut tree for Christmas. Its needles are very sharp pointed and stiff, and grow all around the branches, so they can be prickly to work with. One drawback to hanging ornaments or stringing lights on spruce branches is that you will be covered with what feels like tiny pinpricks! Colorado spruce typically grow to about 60 feet in our area, but there are some in the rocky mountains that are over 100 feet tall. Luckily for those with small gardens, there are some smaller varieties, such as ‘Globosa,’ which averages around three feet tall. There are also varieties selected for intensely blue needle color, such as ‘Moerheim’ and ‘Hoopsii.’ Last year’s Christmas tree 781-321-7700 DISCOUNT FURNITURE COMPLETE LINE OF QUALITY FURNITURE AT LOW PRICES *BEDROOM SETS *DINING ROOM SETS *KITCHEN SETS ASHLEY SOFA $399.00 *SOFA / LOVE SEATS *TABLES & CHAIRS *COMPUTER DESKS ASHLEY BEDROOM SETS LAYAWAY PLANS AVAILABLE 42 Willow St., Malden, Ma. $895.95 – replaced this season – was a Norway spruce (Picea abies). This species is also planted in several places in Saugus. Needles are shorter and darker green than those on Colorado spruce, and on mature trees the branches often develop a curved shape with drooping branchlets. One 40 foot tall Norway spruce in the Lynnhurst neighborhood has become a favorite lookout spot for a hawk, which sometimes brings dinner into the upper branches to dine at leisure. Sixty feet tall is a likely ultimate height for this tree, but in its natural mountain habitat in Europe, it can grow over 200 feet tall. Dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca conica) is another spruce quite often seen around town. This is a popular variety of white spruce (Picea glauca), but unlike most white spruce it fits in somewhat smaller spaces. It is the most popular evergreen for winter container gardens. Dwarf does not mean miniature. Dwarf Alberta spruce only grow a few inches a year, but aren’t we always amazed by how fast the years add up? This dwarf tree can reach 20 feet tall eventually and often outgrow their locations. Cold temperatures are TRIBUTE TREES: Two young dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca conica) at the Veterans Park, one on each side of the Blue Star Memorial Highway marker from the Saugus Garden Club to the Armed Forces of America. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) TWO KINDS OF SPRUCE: Colorado spruce (Picea pungens), on left, and Norway spruce (Picea abies), on right, near the veterans’ section at Riverside Cemetery. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) seldom a problem – the Alberta in the name comes from the Canadian province. The story goes that plant collectors for the Arnold Arboretum were on their way back from a plant collecting trip when they spotted one of these near a railroad station in Alberta and made room in their luggage for one more plant! Dwarf Alberta spruce is much CONVERGING TREE HABITATS: dwarf Alberta spruce at Riverside Cemetery, with a portion reverting to white spruce growth habit. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) denser branching than the regular form of white spruce. White spruce itself has a wide regional distribution. It is also known as skunk spruce, cat spruce and Canadian spruce. It is very common in forests of northern New England, but it is not as popular as Colorado spruce or even Norway spruce in gardens. You are not likely to find any cones on dwarf Alberta spruce, except possibly on branches that have reverted to the growth habit of white spruce. This is not entirely uncommon on older trees. The affected sections grow more quickly and have a different color and texture than the rest of the tree, which retains the dense, pale green, short needled characteristics of the “dwarf Alberta” portion. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town, since so many people have taken to walking the streets in their neighborhoods as a way to get some exercise and get out of the house!” STARTING AT
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