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Colorado Blue Spruce

The Scrappy Batch

Picea pungens var. glauca · CO San Juan National Forest · 2025 Crop

Planting Year2026
Seeds Planted500
Target Trees150
ProvenanceSan Juan NF, CO
Germination91%
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The story behind the batch

The Gentle Giant

Scrappy Doo was a gentle giant. His personality filled every room, every car ride, every quiet morning — and left an unforgettable mark on everyone who knew him.

He was a male German Shepherd who carried himself with a kind of dignity that made people stop and take notice. Not loud. Not demanding. Just magnificently, undeniably present.

Colorado Blue Spruce is the anchor of this forest. It is the most iconic tree in the Rocky Mountains — the one people recognize immediately, the one that defines the Colorado skyline, the one that holds its ground through every winter and comes out the other side standing taller than before.

This batch is the largest of the five. 500 seeds. 150 target trees. The foundation. Collected from the San Juan National Forest in 2025 — one of the freshest, most viable lots available. Like Scrappy, this batch was made to last.

Know the tree

Colorado Blue Spruce — Picea pungens

The state tree of Colorado. The most recognizable conifer in the Rocky Mountains. The anchor species of Sorellendipity Farms.

Common Name
Colorado Blue Spruce · Blue Spruce · Silver Spruce
Scientific Name
Picea pungens var. glauca
Native Range
Rocky Mountains from Wyoming south to New Mexico. Typically 6,000–11,000 ft elevation along streams and canyon bottoms.
Growth Rate
Slow to moderate — 8–12 years to Christmas tree height. One of the slower-growing commercial Christmas tree species.
Longevity
Up to 600+ years in native habitat. Our San Juan NF seed stock comes from trees that have been growing in Colorado for centuries.
Christmas Tree Value
Premium choose-and-cut pricing. Iconic shape, excellent branch strength, needle sharpness varies. About 60% of plants develop the distinctive blue-silver color.
Needle Color
Ranges from silvery-blue to blue-green. The famous blue color is genetic and cannot be determined until the tree is several years old.
Wildlife Value
Seeds eaten by finches, crossbills, and chickadees. Dense branches provide nesting cover for songbirds and small mammals.
Our Seed Source
San Juan National Forest, Colorado · 2025 crop · 91% germination · 99% purity · Sheffield's Seed Company
At a glance

Batch Statistics

500
Seeds Planted
91%
Germination Rate
150
Target Field Trees
2025
Seed Crop Year
7,000ft
Grow Elevation
—
Survival Rate (pending)
The journey

Batch Timeline

June 2026

Seeds acquired from Sheffield's Seed Co. — San Juan National Forest, CO. 2025 crop, 91% germination. 500 seeds ordered.

July 2026

24-hour water soak. Blue Spruce requires no cold stratification — fresh 2025 seed is ready to sow directly. Into 72-cell star plug flats in the Arvada garage grow station.

Fall 2026

Expected: First germination. Cotyledons emerge — the distinctive star pattern of a spruce seedling. Transplant strongest specimens into conetainers.

Spring 2027

Expected: Hardening off begins. Gradual outdoor transition. Move to Pine, CO property at 7,000 ft for the summer growing season.

2028 – 2029

Expected: Field planting at the future farm. The largest batch — 150 Blue Spruce — takes root permanently in Colorado soil.

2034 – 2038

First Scrappy Batch trees reach choose-and-cut size. The anchor species becomes the first harvest. Scrappy's forest comes full circle.

Ongoing record

Batch Journal

June 2026
Seeds Acquired

500 Colorado Blue Spruce seeds from San Juan National Forest — the freshest crop year available (2025) with a tested germination rate of 91% and 99% purity. This is the same forest referenced in this farm's origin story. The seeds arrived in excellent condition and are stored cool and dry in preparation for sowing.

Coming
First Germination

This entry will be written when the first Scrappy Batch seedling emerges. Sign up for updates below.

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