Our Blue Spruce

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Ten years ago, I planted a blue spruce in my front yard. It is a favorite tree of mine, reminding me of the western part of the country. The waxy, grey-blue needles stand in rows, like stiff spikes, on each branch. The color is a mix of creamy, earthy hues that only Nature can blend.

During the early growing years, I worried she would suffer in the hot, humid summers of North Carolina. Every morning, I would drag my extra-long garden hose out to the front of the yard. Setting the nozzle to a gentle shower, I would sprinkle the cool water over her. Refreshing the bed of pine needles at her base helped retain moisture and protected the roots from the blades of the lawnmower circling around her.

The blue spruce is recognized as a sacred symbol in many Southwest tribes. The Hopi see it as a directional guardian of the North. According to Hopi myth, the spruce was once a medicine elder who transformed into a tree, becoming a clan symbol. The Navajo use the boughs for medicinal purposes and ceremonies.

Native to North America, it has adapted well to widely differing climate zones. It grows best with abundant moisture but can withstand drought better than any other spruce. The roots grow shallow but withstand heavy winds and flooding.

It is early March. Spring will soon bring beautiful, blue-grey candles, eight to ten inches long, of new growth. Each morning I will walk out and admire the beauty. A sense of well-being will envelope me as I protect and provide for this tree…with a keen sense of knowing this is a temporary keeping. She belongs to Mother Earth.

We “care a whole awful lot” for trees. I smile as I see that Spruce rhymes with Seuss…and that makes me happy!