Abies procera
Noble Fir
Pinaceae
ExpandHabitat
- 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.