blue spruce

American

noun

a spruce, Picea pungens, of western North America, having bluish-green leaves, grown as an ornamental: the state tree of Colorado and Utah.

blue spruce British

noun

Also called: balsam spruce. a spruce tree, Picea pungens glauca , native to the Rocky Mountains of North America, having blue-green needle-like leaves

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of blue spruce

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Compare meaning

How does blue-spruce compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

white spruce vs. blue spruce

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

blue spruce

In 18,47, Imgard reportedly celebrated Christmas by decorating blue spruce with candy canes and ornaments and his neighbors in Wooster, Ohio, took notice.

From Fox News ● Dec. 19, 2021

There are eight varieties spread across 20 acres: Scotch pine, white pine, Fraser fir, Canaan fir, concolor fir, Norway spruce, blue spruce, and Douglas fir.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 19, 2021

The wildly colorful blue spruce was adorned with popcorn strings, daisy strands and cranberry garland.

From Salon ● Dec. 12, 2020

Give your favorite green thumb a blue spruce tree that will grow with them.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2020

A great copper beach was flaunting its gorgeous colors in the clear morning air; beyond it a clump of blue spruce seemed a background for the riotous autumn tints.

From Drusilla with a Million by Cooper, Elizabeth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023