Oriental spruce ‘Skylands’

* Common name: Oriental spruce ‘Skylands’

* Botanical name: Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’

* What it is: ‘Skylands’ is a slow-growing variety of Oriental spruce that produces green-gold needles to go along with its fairly narrow, upright habit. Small spring-time cones are red, making a nice contrast with the foliage, which starts out more gold and fades to green as summer progresses.

* Size: Grows about 30 feet tall and about 12 feet wide in 20-25 years.

* Where to use: The neat habit and colorful foliage makes ‘Skylands’ an attractive stand-alone specimen evergreen for a property corner, island centerpiece, or similar star treatment. Foliage can scorch brown in a hot, dry site in full sun, so either keep the soil damp or, better yet, plant in a site with afternoon shade.

* Care: Improve soil with compost before planting and keep it consistently damp for the first two to three years to encourage establishment of roots. An annual spring scattering of Holly-tone or similar acidifying granular fertilizer is helpful but not required.

   Pruning is usually not needed if you give the tree proper space. If necessary, branch tips can be lightly trimmed in spring to early summer.

* Great partner: Ring with orange or red perennials, such as daylilies, mums, tiger lilies, or butterfly weed. Red or dark-leafed varieties of creeping sedum make a good underplanting. Dark-leafed alternanthera is a good annual for foliage contrast.