Picea Sitchensis Papoose Sikta Spruce also Coast Spruce

Picea Sitchensis Papoose is a rounded dwarf evergreen conifer with short blue-grey needles and good wind tolerance. It’s a top-notch coastal plant that tolerates exposed spots and strong winds.

Picea Sitchensis is a North American evergreen native to the Pacific coast from Alaska to California where it’s also called Sitka Spruce and Coast Spruce. Picea Sitchensis Papoose is a dwarf variety that was found as a seedling on Vancouver Island in the 1960s.

Sikta Spruce Papoose retains all of the full-size Sikta Spruce characteristics of wind-tolerance, growing at altitudes up to 900 metres, and coastal resistance, but it’s much smaller with a rounded compact habit.

Its steely blue-grey needles pop out amid traditional conifer greens, especially when its blue new growth emerges in spring, and its mounding shape punctuates the landscape with colour and form.

It’s synonymous with Picea Sitchensis Trinket and an excellent choice for wind-prone coastal areas. If you have a low-maintenance garden, this is a lovely no fuss steel-blue evergreen.

Height and Spread of Picea Sitchensis Papoose
Sikta Spruce Papoose reaches just 1.2 by 1 metre over ten years so a reliable low-growing shrub. 

How Hardy is Picea Sitchensis Papoose
This is a fully hardy evergreen shrub that’s particularly suited to elevation and coastal areas. In well-drained soil, it tolerates minus temperatures and some drought. Pests and diseases rarely affect it.

How To Use Picea Sitchensis Papoose
This dwarf spruce is small enough to suit compact spaces including urban town gardens, patios, and balconies. Grow it in a mixed border to bring year-round colour and shape, front gardens for low maintenance cover, and shelter to wildlife gardens.
It especially suits coastal areas or elevated gardens that mimic its natural Pacific coastal habitat but contributes valuable architectural aspects and ornamental merit to country and urban gardens too.

How To Care For Picea Sitchensis Papoose
Sikta Spruce Papoose is easy to grow and care for. It prefers well-drained neutral to acidic soil and needs full sun to thrive, so choose a free-draining sunny position for it. Pruning isn’t required, because it remains naturally compact and low-growing. Wayward or broken branches can be removed at any point.
Apply a thick layer of pine or bracken mulch to its root in early spring and water it well until it’s established. Container-grown coastal spruce needs regular water and fertiliser, and you should prop the container on feet to aid effective drainage.