In some areas , especially coastal areas of North America , you have the choice of two blue - tinted evergreens . Although dark spruce and puritanic atlas cedar tree are both evergreens and , as such , similar in many ways , the two tree diagram have a number of notable differences .
Growth Patterns
gloomy spruce has a columnar emergence pattern with a disposition to uprise upward until the branches attain a larger size . When the branches of a blue spruce reach a big enough size , they begin to droop down , but still maintain potent horizontal lines . Although the oecumenical increment pattern of a blue atlas cedar is also columnlike , the tree can sometimes have a more unkempt feel . As the branches maturate , they bend toward the soil resulting in a crying core .
Needle Shape
The needle of a blue spruce are of medium length , uncoiled , and keen . They maturate outward from low branches and do n’t originate very long , and thus let the shape of the fundamental offset structure to be more visible in this species . Blue atlas true cedar have a coiling acerate leaf arrangement where a act of needles develop outwards in a helical radiation pattern from a cardinal point . This arranging create more of a sense of richness with blue atlas cedar trees .
Topiary
The difference in arm growth and acerate leaf musical arrangement make blue atlas cedar worthy for canonical topiary , peculiarly musket ball - mould topiary . Blue spruce is less suitable to topiary because of its lower needle compactness and pronto visible branch structure .
Size
Blue spruce can grow to between 50 and 75 feet mellow with a horizontal ranch of around 25 feet . Blue atlas cedar are a slightly smaller tree , reaching between 40 and 60 feet in summit with a spread of 30 to 40 foot . Because of the weeping branch traffic pattern on many gloomy atlas cedar tree , they are best plant away from driveways or walkways .
Climate Zones
puritanic spruce are very hardy trees that can come through in more utmost climate . Blue spruce will get well in zones 2 through 8 , establish them desirable for most parts of North America . Some coastal geographical zone , like Florida , southern Texas and Louisiana , and parts of the Oregon and California seashore , may be too ardent and humid for this tree to thrive . drab map collection cedar are less hardy . They will grow well in zona 6 through 8 , but will not do well in coastal area where the blue spruce wo n’t thrive .