Colorado Blue Spruce 'Inversa'

Spruce 'Inversa' (Picea abies 'Inversa') is a green waterfall. The branches hang almost vertically and press close to the trunk, so the crown is narrow and dark green, with no hint of the usual Christmas-tree pyramid. The foliage is dense, stiff and richly green all year round.

This is a plant for one dramatic spot: by the entrance, above a retaining wall, on the edge of a raised bed where the branches can fall freely. On a standard it is held up by its support; left untied it spreads over the ground. The leader adds 60-90 cm a year, so it needs more room than dwarfs such as 'Nidiformis'.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: One plant, two characters: tie it to a support and you get a weeping cascade; leave it untied and it spreads across the ground as a groundcover.
• Dimensions: At 10 years over 4 m tall and over 4 m wide.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -45 °C (USDA zone 2).
• Light: Give it full sun: in shade the crown loses density and the weeping silhouette reads less clearly.
• Soil: Happily takes moist but well-drained acid or neutral soil - clay, loam or sand.
• Watering: Moderate watering; established plants take a little dryness, but standing water is the one thing they will not tolerate.
• Care: No pruning needed, but a young plant should be tied to a support, otherwise it spreads along the ground.
• Landscape use: A specimen on a standard, a ground-cover form, or a striking cascade over a retaining wall or raised bed.
• Origin: The cultivar was found around 1855 at Kinlet Hall in England, and today it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.