white fir
Abies concolor
GCA Plant of the Year 2011
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size40 to 70 feet tall20 to 30 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom color
- Non-flowering
- Foliage color
- Blue, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
White fir (Abies concolor) is a tree for specimen planting, privacy screens, and winter interest. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. The silvery blue-green needles are 2 to 3 inches long, the longest of any fir. This evergreen starts out neatly conical and turns more rounded with age. Songbirds, squirrels, and chipmunks eat the winged seeds.
Pairs well with Ponderosa pine, Christmas fern, and Northern bayberry.
Native range
Western United States and Mexico.