Red Cones on Weeping Norway Spruce in Spring - April 2024

This Spring is full of new garden experiences for me.  That's all thanks to the big "Fall Planting" sprint that I ran through in October of 2023, when I tucked in dozens of new things including the creation of the small, linear dwarf conifer garden IB2DWs.  I found a pair of Weeping Norway Spruces that were labeled 'pendula'.   I put one up closer to the garage and the other one further down closer to the sidewalk.  I staked them both up and hoped for the best.  

They both handled the winter just fine (as expected) and are starting to put on a little spring flush of needle growth.  But, one of them is also showing some cones.  That's nice.  But, even nicer?  They're red raspberry-colored cones.  Small ones, but certainly raspberry-colored cones.  See below for a couple of photos.

What is interesting (to me, at least) is that there's not any mention online of these Weeping Norway Spruces producing red cones.  Other spruces - like Picea abies 'Acrocona' - talk about raspberry-colored cones. But, not 'pendula'.

Mis-identification is one of the issues with buying late-season from the big box stores.  What *exactly* is this tree?  I'm pretty sure it is a Pendula Weeping Norway Spruce.  But, the red cones may tell a different story.  

No matter....I'm excited for the red cones.  And, now comes the hard part:  making sure these survive their first full growing season out in the hot sun and harsh growing conditions IB2DWs.