For your consideration.

Picea pungens 'Sester Dwarf'.

This cultivar is considered a top notch performer. It has a beautifully symmetrical growth habit, extremely blue needle color and excellent performance in challenging planting sites. 'Sester Dwarf' makes a superb specimen giving its yard a "big tree" feel in a small space. Dwarf growth rate; expect the tree to grow 4-6" annually. 15ft. x 6ft. wide. Zones 3-8.

Dave

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hi

review the intro at the link ... particularly as to conifer size and annual growth rates ... you do NOT want anything in the intermediate nor large annual growth range.. where hoopsi is ...

see my pic below.. from a one gal pot ... you can see it will quickly .. in tree years.. outgrow your spot ...

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please explain your goal.. other than size.. and i presume.. blue color ... there are many magnificent blue.. dwarf or mini plants.. that will enjoy your spot for decades ... IF YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE ...

besides pungens.. there is also concolor ... and lasiocarpa varieties that would fill the bill..

so.. what is there besides blue and size.. or does that sum it up??

do you have the ability to go to joy's??? or any other such place ... seeing is believing....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

@dcsteg: thank you for the recommendation. It looks like a beautiful cultivar. However, I can't seem to find it anywhere in Europe.

@Ken: Coniferjoy is around 100km (62 miles) driving from me. I've the intention to visit somewhere in the future but that most likely won't be before spring arrives and I'd really like to see this year already new growth appearing.
What I really want is a small dwarf light blue "christmas" tree. Thank you for the suggestion for Abies concolor and lasiocarpa. I'll search some more info about them.

Does anyone have an 'Oldenburg' or 'Fat Albert' to give me specifications about the growth rate?

Hit the link.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Picea p. 'Fat Albert

Thank you for the link Dave.

12" per year is the max rate for an intermediate species, so does that make a Hoopsii a large species? Or are they both intermediate?
I found a website saying that 'Hoopsii' is a medium tall species and 'Fat Albert' is a small species, hence I'd like to know whether that information is correct.

Ken, you say that a Hoopsii would outgrow my spot in three years. Do you mean by spread or height? Judging your picture I think your Hoopsii is about 5 feet tall (after 5 years) and the max height I want for the tree is about 16ft, so that makes about 15 years. Did you perhaps misread and considered the meters I posted to be feet?

Yesterday I (actually we, because my father came too) finally went to see Coniferjoy's nursery.
We were received very warmly, had a pleasant conversation and we were guided through his fantastic pinetum and nursery.

I bought Picea pungens âÂÂFilip's Blue Compact'.
Here it is planted in our garden:
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well super..

i did not see your followup question.. just FYI ...

in my pic.. the plant is near 10 feet tall ... the first two years.. from the size you bought.. it grew probably one foot each ... space between the lines.. and 2004/5 .. the space between the lines is 1.5 feet.. its predicted annual growth rate [which i take to mean.. it became 'established'] ... and each year after.. it is within the growth rate.. subject to happiness ... aka weather ...

i am not familiar with the one you bought.. good luck with it..

ken

I really like this cultivar too ["Picea pungens âÂÂFilip's Blue Compact']. You can see mine in the second photo of my new post "Early March in the garden".
Richard

For me, Bakeri has been a slightly slower grower than Hoopsi or Fat Albert, and a lot narrower, but it has the same bright blue needles. But it too in time will outgrow your space requirements in height.

R H Montgomery is a squattier form. Begins as a globe and then sends up a leader. Much slower growing in height but will be as wide as the others mentioned.

It's a shame Sester Dwarf is not over there. More of a steel blue color but as a true dwarf it is much slower growing and could stay almost indefinately in your space.

Blue Mist is an interesting cultivar. The blue is a little more intense and darker than the others above and it's shape can be a little more unconventional. But a pretty tree and will definately stay small enough for the space.

Two other true dwarf sized trees in the traditional bright blue color are Donna's Rainbow and Copeland. Donna's Rainbow is a shorter more compact grower and Copeland is taller and more narrow and open branching.

Hope you find something to work in your space.

mark

@Ken:
I've also seen the motherplant and Edwin told me it was about 15 years old. The space I planted mine supports a tree like that at least twice as high and twice as wide, so I'll probably be able to enjoy it at least a decade or two before it outgrows. :)

@sprucebud:
Is yours the one in the lower right corner? It looks very beautiful!

@texjagman:
Thank you very much for your input, however a few posts above yours I posted an update. ;)

Picea pungens 'Filip's Blue Compact' 5 years old. (original plant)
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Picea pungens 'Filip's Blue Compact' 15 years old.

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Nice pictures, Edwin.
My plant is developing nicely too.
Richard

I lost a Korean fir 'Silver Show' and I see a new spot for a 'Filip's Blue Compact', now.

Dax

Has anyone grown these successfully in zones 7b? Such beautiful specimens. I've read they will grow in 7 and some sites say 8, but I'm wondering how well. I've never seen one planted where I live.