Bark: Dark on young trees; nearly 3 inches thick,
red-orange and furrowed into large, flat scaly plates on mature trees.
Leaves: Evergreen needles are stiff, dark yellow-green; 3 to 7 inches
long; typically in bundles of 3 that form tufts near the ends of branches.
Fruit: Light red-brown cones; 3 to 4 inches long; egg-shaped with
scales that are tipped by a sharp point; small, long-winged seeds.
Elevation: 6,300 to 9,500 feet.
Height: 40 to 160 feet.
Habitat: Dry, nutrient poor soils in open park-like stands or with
Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain juniper and spruce.
Relation to Fire: Resistant to fire, due to open crowns, thick,
insulating bark, self-pruning branches, high moisture content in the leaves
and thick bud scales.
Click Here to see Colorado Blue Spruce or Colorado Green Spruce Trees