In Colorado, it grows in small, scattered groves or singly among ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, alpine fir and Englemann spruce. In Utah, it grows in the Wasatch and Uinta mountains at elevations of 6,000 to 11,000 feet. Its silvery-blue foliage makes the blue spruce a popular ornamental tree which is often used as a Christmas tree. The blue spruce is grown in many other states and countries and is a very popular Christmas tree. But it will always be associated with Colorado, where it is loved more than almost any other state tree.
Some people see the color green on the state insect as a reminder of Colorado's evergreen forests.