Picea pungens 'Stanley Gold' / Stanley Gold Colorado spruce

Picea pungens 'Stanley Gold' is a slow-growing, upright, pyramidal selection of Colorado spruce with golden foliage in winter. Spring growth is green which presents a very interesting color contrast early in the growing season. Many consider the plant's golden color to be superior to Picea pungens 'Aurea,' a much older selection.

After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 4.5 to 6 feet (1.5 - 2 m) tall and two-thirds as wide, an annual growth rate of 5 to 7 inches (10 - 12.5 cm).

This cultivar originated as a seedling selected in 1978 from a 5000-plant flat of Blue seedlings, by Larry Stanley, Stanley & Sons Nursery, Boring, Oregon, USA.

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Picea pungens 'Stanley Gold' a closeup of foliage detail.
Photo by Sam Pratt
Picea pungens 'Stanley Gold' at Conifer Kingdom Nursery, Silverton, Oregon — a nice golden Colorado spruce.
Photo by Sam Pratt
© dani photography

Comments

David Olszyk

Hi Ellen, I just checked all of my references and the all agree on 'Stanley Gold.' Did Larry recently tell you of a cultivar name change in person?

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Ellen Smart

No, but on the Stanley &amp; Sons website it's listed as Stanley's Gold. <a href="http://www.stanleyandsons.com/product/pic-5770/picea-pungens-stanleys-gold.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.stanleyandsons.com/product/pic-5770/picea-pungens-stanleys-gold.html</a>

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David Olszyk

Yes, I know this. It’s a typo. In 1978, he introduced it under the name, 'Stanley Gold' which is how every reference on Earth lists it to this day.

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