Picea glauca 'Rainbow's End' / Rainbow's End Alberta spruce

Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Rainbow's End' is a color mutation found on the ever-popular P. glauca var. albertiana 'Conica'. The first flush of growth is light green in color, while the second flush is a pleasant yellow giving the plant the appearance of a tiny Christmas tree decorated with lights. Rate of growth and eventual size are pretty much the same as that of P. glauca 'Conica.'

After 10 years of growth a mature specimen will measure 3 feet (1 m) tall and 2 feet (60 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 3 to 4 inches.

This cultivar is a seedling selection made in 1978 by Don Howse while working for Iseli Nursery, Boring, Oregon.

Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Rainbow's End'
Photo by Charlene Harris
Second flush — this is a good example of the coloration that is displayed by this cultivar.
Photo by Bill Barger
Picea glauca 'Rainbow's End' in the conifer collection at Oregon Garden, Silverton, OR; an ACS Reference Garden.
Photo by David Olszyk
Second flush of 'Rainbow's End' — a closeup showing the nice yellow coloration displayed with the second flush of growth.
Photo by Bill Barger
Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Rainbow's End' in the Harper Collection of Dwarf and Rare Conifers at Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton, Michigan. Photo from August, 2005.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Rainbow's End'
Photo by Ernie Wiegand
A nice grouping of 'Rainbow's End' at the Edwin Smits Pinetum, Volkel, The Netherlands.
Photo by Edwin Smits

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