Habitat

• native to northwestern United States
• zone 5

Habit and Form

• evergreen tree
• conical in youth, mature trees have a long trunk and a rounded top
• 50' to 100' tall, can reach over 250' tall in wild
• slow to medium growth rate
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• 1" to 1.5" long
• entire margins
• bluish green color
• 2 pale stomatal bands on underside
• needle apex is slightly notched
• needles densely crown stem with lower needles spreading outward and inner needles erect and shorter

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color (evergreen)

Flowers

• no ornamental value
• monoecious

Fruit

• large purple brown cones
• 7" to 9" long and almost 3" wide
• slightly tapered cylindrical shape
• showy

Bark

• gray and smooth; initially with age it breaks up into thin rectangular plates
• resin blisters are numerous and prominent
• new stems are covered in brown pubescence

Culture

• transplants easily when root pruned
• not wind tolerant
• prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil
• prefers cool soil
• sun is best

Landscape Uses

• specimen
• decoration, very beautiful fir

Liabilities

• dislikes high pH
• cannot tolerate high winds
• not well siuted to most cultivated situations
• often damaged by deer

ID Features

• needles have notched tip
• overly large purple cones
• circular leaf scars
• buds are resinous with long pointed scales at the base

Propagation

• by seed, good germination doesn't require any treatments

Cultivars/Varieties

'Aurea' (also known as 'Sherwoodii') - An unusual form with a yellowish hue to the outer needles.

'Glauca' - Similar to the species, but with blue curved needles and abundant cone production. Slower growing and more compact than the species.

'Glauca Prostrata' - Needles are blue and the form is low with prostrate branches.