I don't know how likely they are to damage foundations at that distance (I've seen trees planted much closer than that) but rather than cut it down there are plant growth regulators that can slow trees down if they are getting too big.
Do you have a lot of big surface roots? I think blue spruces are known to have surface roots or be shallow rooted. Not sure which.

the real ann landers???? i suppose.. compared to a fake one ..lol

first... lets leave the emotion aside ... its a TREE/CONIFER ... is is not kin .. it is not a grand baby ... it is replaceable ...

there are a multiude of smaller ... and probably bluer plants.. that grow at slower rates.. that could be properly sited near your house ...

without a cultivar name .... we will have to presume that you have a plain old picea pungens .... the link below indicates its potential as ....30' to 60' tall , can reach 120'; 10' to 20' spread

do you really think it is properly sited????

IF IT WERE ME .... i would be rid of my problem ... i would remove it.. or have it removed ... i would call your version of ms dig and have all utilities marked ... frankly .. i would cut it down to soil level.. and leave the stump to rot.. rather than fool around digging ...

personally .. i have an irrational fear of trees crashing through my roof ... and have sacrificed many a tree/conifer ... due to such ... at night.. when the winds whips through the area.. i really dont want to be laying in bed.. wondering if some tree is going to fall on the house .. a bit over-dramatic.. but i am sure you get the point ...

there are a multitude is picea pungens [blue spruce] that will grow much slower .... which could be planted a little further out... and if you replace that which you remove.. the net zero transaction to mother earth.. surely wouldnt bother me ....

try another post.. if you wish suggestions for slower growing blue conifers ...

good luck with your decision ...

ken

PS: after spring flush.. you will very clearly be able to see its annual growth rate .... probably about one foot ... it will continue at that rate ... for the rest of your life .. i wouldnt add growth inhibitors to your local water table ... knowing the growth rate.. will enable you to predict how much bigger it will be in 5 ... 10 .. 20 years .... perhaps that will help you make your ultimate decision ..

Here is a link that might be useful: 30' to 60' tall , can reach 120'; 10' to 20' spread

annlanders: Here's my Blue Spruce on the corner. Its already 40 feet tall with a spread of 20 feet so far. It should get to 75-100 feet high. Spruces look deep for water..Maples are the ones with shallow roots.

I'd worry about those gas and water lines for sure!! Foundation not so much cause it will take a lot of force to move a foundation... I would remove it even though it's an attraction. Bad spot for Spruce.

{{gwi:337917}}

There's no telling that the OP's tree will get that big.
If someone were to move into my house an not know what trees I have and they post pictures of my dwarf ash, dwarf birch, dwarf sugar maples, dwarf pines and dwarf tulip trees, had they posted here the board would urge them to remove every tree in my yard.

That thing could be a fat albert or iseli columnar. Not to mention it will grow more narrow due to it's proximity of the building. And once again, you can use PGR's to slow them down.

If it's 20' tall after ten years, I'd guess it's not a really slow growing variety. Of course, it depends on how large/how old it was when planted, but I think it unlikely to have been nearly that large when planted. Conifers keep growing until they die, so, if the tree is growing about 1.5' per year now, it will likely continue to grow 1.5' per year for many many years and won't stop growing until it dies. Just look at some of the trees in the National Arboretum's Gotelli Conifer Collection; many are true dwarfs but are massive in size. Ann can tell how quickly her tree is growing by looking at last year's growth, but it sounds like her tree is likely to get pretty large.

Another thing Ann might want to consider is how long she'll live at that location. If she plans to be there for the rest of her life, then it's likely that a better placed tree would pay off in the long run. But, if she's going to move in a few years, the larger tree probably won't damage the house anytime soon, and might even add value to the house when it's sold. Many buyers don't consider potential issues like this when they buy. They just see a large pretty tree and think it's awesome.

Be careful reading the last post. Without going off Topic All it takes it some researching about roots.

Hey annlanders, I had a Gigantic Maple 10 feet from my house. I was more worried about wind damage then root damage so I took it down.

You can always plant a fresh tree that doesn't get so big.

It'll help the value of your property too. Always looks good with new landscaping. :)

Ten feet away is no big deal and the roots at the end will be to thin to harm your foundation, Conifers protect homes from winter winds if planted on the west side to the north side of the the house. Planting to close the house could cause damage by clogging gutters from needle shedding or harming compromised foundations. So the best idea is to plant well away from the house for the eventual growth of the tree and to preserve any trees that are not causing any current problems. Brent

Hi just wondering what decisions you took about your Colorado green spruce trees. As I have same trees infront of my house. Is it gonna be damage my house foundation or gas line? Trees are 10 to 15 feet from my house. Please advice me.

We took a 20ft tree down a few years ago and our y and is filled with bumps that we believe are roots spreading. Even though the folks chased the roots a little after taking the stump out. Is this possible?

12 year old post, and still no good answers. Wow.

OK, so reviving this for those who follow. I live in an area known for Blue Spruce trees (Colorado). Not offering expert advice here, but I will provide some observations from 50 years of living with these trees:

1) We plant Blue Spruce trees very close to houses in this area. By "very", I mean a few feet from the house. In 50 years of living here, I've never heard of anybody having foundation problems due to a spruce tree being too close (other trees, yes). Not saying it's not possible, but 10 feet away is not going to be a problem.

2) Healthy Blue Spruce trees don't come crashing down, nor do they shed big limbs. Even very heavy spring snow tends to damage other trees, while the spruce trees weather it just fine. Unhealthy / dying trees should be taken down.

3) In mountain communities, people build houses surrounded by spruce and pine trees -- again often just feet from their houses. And again, people are not chopping down these trees due to fear of foundation problems. Some smart folks do start felling them for fire mitigation, but that is a different subject.

4) We personally have 2 Blue Spruce trees right next to our house, both of which were planted many years before we moved in. They are at least 25 years old, towering above our house. No foundation or basement damage has occurred from these mature trees. Keeping the gutters clean is a pain, and we have to be sure limbs are kept off the roof to prevent damage to shingles.

5) Blue Spruce trees do get big -- so if you don't want a big tree in your yard they are not for you.

6) Grass under the tree will typically die out or be very thin, unless it is a kind that tolerates shade and soil conditions created by the trees. However, some ground covers (like vinca minor) will thrive and are a nice compliment.

^^I agree with everything ^^

Where blue spruce are well adapted they are sturdy trees that never cause problems. I live in one of the windiest places in the USA and I have never seen one lose a limb or blow down. Blue spruce is my favorite evergreen. Additionally, blue spruce are allelopathic, so virtually nothing can grow within their drip line, nice tip about vinca minor.

Allelopathy generally only relates to the germination of seeds of competing plants and less often to already existing plantings. Allelopathy is not all that strong with a blue spruce and the lack of undergrowth or its survival is most often due to heavy shade (low, dense canopy), dry conditions and root competition, not allelopathy.