Picea omorika ‘de Ruyter’ is a slow-growing cultivar of Serbian spruce with an irregular growth habit and the interesting characteristic of producing only blue needles on one branch versus green needles on a branch next to it. The species is endemic (native range restricted) to higher elevations of the Drina River valley in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina and western Serbia. Although native to Europe, it was not discovered and described by scientists until 1875. It is widely grown in gardens in temperate zones because of its classic ‘Christmas tree’ shape and tolerance of a wide variety of soils.