Hi folks. I saw this conifer growing wild in a state park north of Seattle. Any idea what kind it is? I've never seen red tips like this on a wild native conifer.

I wish I'd thought to photograph the mature cones - I believe they were dangling downward, and somewhat open like a Douglas Fir cone or a Sitka Spruce cone. Though it's possible that was a branch from another tree mingling in with this tree.

Thanks!

Picea abies 'Rubra Spicata' maybe? I don't know if there are any others. We don't have a picture in the database, but here's one from Google:

https://www.google.ca/search?q...:

I don't know why it would be growing wild there though.....

Sue, thanks for the welcome and for the input.

The tree was on the foresty edge of the road by a viewpoint east of the bridge at Deception Pass. It's possible there were some non-native plantings done there by the park service. I didn't notice any other non-native plants around, but I was being distracted by the view...

I have an exquisite photo from the back yard of our old house. The Colorado Spruce growing in the neighbor's yard did this one year, and one year only. They are immature cones: baby pinecones if you like. And because I am wanting very much to appear scholarly, I can't remember the name of the things, except that the word begins with the letter "S". Enjoy the show because it doesn't occur each year. You can see additional photos of these things on Google Images.

There are some with coloured cones and I wondered about that but I don't think they are cones on the ID plant. Compare with this picture, to me they look more like this but I could be wrong:

https://www.google.ca/search?q...:

Ha! It was only a matter of time and a conversation with my husband. They are strobilus (plural) or strobili (singular).

No images yet in our database for Red Tipped Norway Spruce (Picea abies 'Rubra Spicata')

Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)