Abies grandis

Giant Fir

Pinaceae

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Habitat

  • native to northwestern North America
  • zone 6

Habit and Form

  • evergreen tree
  • 4 to 5' wide trunk
  • up to 300' tall

Summer Foliage

  • medium to yellow green in color
  • 0.75" to 2.25" long
  • arranged in two ranks on either side of the stem
  • 2 stomatal bands on underside
  • needle apex notched
  • citrus scented
  • resinous buds

Autumn Foliage

  • no fall color (evergreen)

Flowers

  • no ornamental value
  • monoecious

Fruit

  • bright green cones
  • tapered cylindrical in shape
  • 3" to 4" long
  • bracts enclosed

Bark

  • new stems are olive-green
  • slight ridges on new stems

Culture

  • prefers moist, deep, well-drained, acidic soil
  • sun to partial shade, rather shade tolerant for a Abies sp.

Landscape Uses

  • specimen
  • park tree

Liabilities

  • too big for most uses
  • hard to find commercially
  • has a poor performance record on the east coast of the United States

ID Features

  • needles have notched tip
  • circular leaf scars
  • distinct flat, comb-like needle arrangement
  • resinous buds

Propagation

  • by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

  • none commonly available

© Copyright Mark H. Brand, 1997-2015.

The digital materials (images and text) available from the UConn Plant Database are protected by copyright. Public use via the Internet for non-profit and educational purposes is permitted. Use of the materials for profit is prohibited.

Citation and Acknowledgements: University of Connecticut Plant Database, http://hort.uconn.edu/plants, Mark H. Brand, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Storrs, CT 06269-4067 USA.