Black Hills spruce is named for the area of South Dakota from which it originates and is a variety of the white spruce. It is a very dense, symmetrical, slow grower with green needles and is used for landscape, windbreak and Christmas tree purposes. This spruce is slower growing than Colorado blue spruce with shorter needles and is more drought tolerant. Black Hills spruce is very resistant to winter injury and has fewer insect and disease problems than Colorado blue spruce.