Scientific Name:
Abies concolor
Pronunciation:
AY-beez KON-kol-or
Common Name:
silver fir, Colorado fir, white fir
Family Name:
Pinaceae
Plant Type:
Conifer
Key ID Features:
Branched to base, those on upper half of tree tend to point upward, lower ones are horizontal or deflected downward; needles flat, soft, curved out and up on branches; most 4-6cm long x 2-3mm wide, glaucous, blue-green (new growth bluish); buds and young bark have resin blisters; seed cones erect, cylindric, 7-12cm long x 3-4.5cm wide, olive-green to purplish before maturing yellow-brown then darker brown, scales mostly 25-30mm long x 28-38mm wide, pubescent; seeds brown 8-12 x 3mm, wing about 1cm long; seedlings with 5-9 cotyledons. Conifer.org
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Columnar
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
> 30m
Mature Spread:
7 - 10m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Mexico, U.S. - northwest, U.S. - southwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate, Low
Landscape Uses:
Specimen plant
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include: A. 'Piggelmee' (dwarf). (Firs have soft needles, erect cones; spruces have prickly needles with pegs, pendulous cones.)
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Needle-like
Arrangement:
Spiraled
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Glaucous, Distinctive smell
Colour in Summer:
Bluish
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Acicular, Linear
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
n/a (male cone)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Colour (petals):
Male cone, No flowers, Dark-red
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Cone (winged seeds)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, Cones erect; seeds 8-12 x 3mm, wing about twice as long; cotyledons 5-9 (usually 6);
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Deeply fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
(Distinctive smell)
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae
Propagation:
Seed, Hardwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Canker or sap rot, Dieback, Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
- Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (AGB) Acer Griseum Bed : cv. 'Piggelmee'
- (TKC) TamaracK Courtyard : 387