Home

Northwest Conifers

White Fir – Abies concolor Speaker

Tree

White Fir at Reed College

Map 

USGS Distribution Map
Hybrid firs in yellow,
white fir in green, based on
information from
Conifer Country

White fir grows throughout the Sierras of California. The white fir that grows in Oregon is a hybrid of white fir and grand fir, Abies concolor x grandis.* These Oregon hybrids grow in the southern Cascades and Siskiyous. The hybrids take on varying characteristics of each species, which makes identification a challenge.

Needles: The needles are longer than most firs, about 2 inches long, curving up in a U or V shape. They are blue-gray, with white lines on both surfaces.

Cones: The cones sit upright like other firs. They are brown with no whiskery bracts protruding beyond the scales. Like other firs, the cones fall apart at maturity, leaving a cone core spike on the branch.

Bark: The smooth, gray bark breaks into deep furrows on large trees, often showing brown or yellowish inner bark like Douglas fir.

Names: The scientific name, concolor means "uniform color," describing the color of the needles. Other common names: balsam fir, silver fir, concolor fir.

______________

*Oregon Flora Project and The Gymnosperm Database list these as Abies concolor x grandis and Abies granddis x concolor respectively. Some call these hybrids Abies grandicolor.


photo

Needles and pollen Cones

Bark


© 2016 Ken Denniston