Last year I spent a lot of time in this neighborhood after my job was destroyed. I tutored a number of students who lived there, so it didn't take me long to notice this rather spectacular spire-like tree. At first, I had thought it was a Colorado Blue Spruce- Picea pungens.
I mentioned it to a conifer friend of mine, Don Howse. He was aware of the tree and has been watching it for a number of years. It turns out that this is actually a Picea omorika- the Serbian Spruce. Perhaps 15-20 years ago, a storm broke the top off the tree. What remains is the skirt-like base. It has grown a new spire since then.
Don says that the species often has narrow forms, so this may or may not be worth naming. It is certainly worth propagating, though- I'd love to have one like this in my yard :) It is in front of a doctor's office, so I'll have to stop in and ask permission to take a few scions one of these years.
I'm tempted to make a cheesy comparison to this tree's history and my career. Even now, when I drive through this neighborhood, I remember how hurt I was last year over what happened to my job. I spent countless evenings driving from one student's house to the next, working my ass off. I was putting in all way more hours than I had in my old job, with no benefits and lower pay. It was frustrating and demoralizing to be working so many hours and still have to borrow money from my dad to pay my bills.
It doesn't bother me as much this year- I'm still working lots of hours, but my substitute jobs are paying better and I don't have to borrow money to stay afloat. Maybe (and I'm sorry for a slightly-cheesy metaphor) I will start to grow a new top after being broken so badly by that storm. I can only hope that my comeback will be as good as this tree's.
I'd be interested in hearing from people who are very familiar with this species- particularly you Eastern Europeans who may have have seen it growing in the wild :) Is this form unusual?
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