Colorado Blue Spruce, Picea pungens is a native of North America and its natural range extends from New Mexico to Alberta. It has been widely introduced elsewhere and is used as an ornamental tree in many places far beyond its native range.
The blue spruce has blue-green coloured needles and is a coniferous tree that grows to about 75 ft tall in the wild. Its waxy gray-green leaves, up to an inch long are sharp pointed and arranged radially on shoots that curve upward.
Native Americans used this tree as a traditional medicinal plant and a ceremonial item, and twigs are given as gifts to bring good fortune. In traditional medicine, an infusion of the needles is used to treat colds and settle the stomach. This liquid is also used externally for rheumatic pains.
