Changes

==Species==

==Species==

* '''Section ''Balsamea''''' (Taiga|boreal Asia and North America, and high mountains further south)

* '''Section ''Balsamea''''' (Taiga|boreal Asia and North America, and high mountains further south)

**''[[Fraser Fir|Abies fraseri]]'' - Fraser Fir

**''[[Fraser Fir|Abies fraseri]]'' - Fraser Fir, Southern Fir, Southern Balsam Fir.  [[Sunset zones]] 36, 37.  Native to higher, cooler elevations of the Appalachian Mountains.  Attractive pyramidal tree resembling ''A. balsamea'' in looks and in fragrance.  Popular choice of Christmas tree to grow in areas with not very hot summers.

**''[[Balsam Fir|Abies balsamea]]'' - Balsam Fir, [[Sunset zones]] 3-7, 15-17, 36-38, 42-44.  Native of NE US.  Pyramidal tree up to 50ft tall with dark green needles.  Doesn't thrive in hot-summer climates.  Has legendary fragrance, making it popular for wreaths and Christmas trees.  'Nana' is a dwarf variety good in rock gardens and containers.

**''[[Balsam Fir|Abies balsamea]]'' - Balsam Fir, [[Sunset zones]] 3-7, 15-17, 36-38, 42-44.  Native of NE US.  Pyramidal tree up to 50ft tall with dark green needles.  Doesn't thrive in hot-summer climates.  Has legendary fragrance, making it popular for wreaths and Christmas trees.  'Nana' is a dwarf variety good in rock gardens and containers.

***''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' - Bracted Balsam Fir

***''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' - Bracted Balsam Fir

**''[[Subalpine Fir|Abies bifolia]]'' - Rocky Mountains Subalpine Fir

**''[[Subalpine Fir|Abies bifolia]]'' - Rocky Mountains Subalpine Fir

**''[[Subalpine Fir|Abies lasiocarpa]]'' - Coast Range Subalpine Fir

**''[[Subalpine Fir|Abies lasiocarpa]]'' - Coast Range Subalpine Fir, Alpine Fir, Rocky Mountain Fir.  Sunset zones 1-9, 14-17.  Native to high elevations in western US.  Grows into a narrow, 60-90 foot tall steeple shaped tree in the wild under good, moist soil.  In gardens it typically loses this narrow shape and height.  Bluish-green needles, 1 to 1.5 inches long.

***''Abies lasiocarpa'' var. ''arizonica'' - Corkbark Fir

***''Abies lasiocarpa'' var. ''arizonica'' - Corkbark Fir

**''[[Siberian Fir|Abies sibirica]]'' - Siberian Fir

**''[[Siberian Fir|Abies sibirica]]'' - Siberian Fir

**''[[Sakhalin Fir|Abies sachalinensis]]'' - Sakhalin Fir

**''[[Sakhalin Fir|Abies sachalinensis]]'' - Sakhalin Fir

**''[[Korean Fir|Abies koreana]]'' - Korean Fir

**''[[Korean Fir|Abies koreana]]'' - Korean Fir. Sunset zones 3-9, 14-24, 32, 34, 39.  Native to Korea.  Slow-growing and compact tree up to 30 feet in a pyramidal shape.  Green needles are shiny and short.  Young and small trees set cones.  'Aurea' variety is smaller, slower growing and has gold-green foliage.

**''[[Khinghan Fir|Abies nephrolepis]]'' - Khinghan Fir

**''[[Khinghan Fir|Abies nephrolepis]]'' - Khinghan Fir

**''[[Veitch's Fir|Abies veitchii]]'' - Veitch's Fir

**''[[Veitch's Fir|Abies veitchii]]'' - Veitch's Fir

**''[[Bulgarian Fir|Abies borisii-regis]]'' - Bulgarian Fir

**''[[Bulgarian Fir|Abies borisii-regis]]'' - Bulgarian Fir

**''[[Greek Fir|Abies cephalonica]]'' - Greek Fir

**''[[Greek Fir|Abies cephalonica]]'' - Greek Fir

**''[[Nordmann Fir|Abies nordmanniana]]'' - Nordmann Fir or Caucasian Fir

**''[[Nordmann Fir|Abies nordmanniana]]'' - Nordmann Fir or Caucasian Fir.  Sunset zones 3-11, 14-24, 32-37.  Native to [[Caucasus]], Asia Minor and Greece.  Vigorous, densely foliaged fir.  Under cultivation reaches 30-50 feet tall, 20 feet wide. Needles are dark green and shiny, .25 to 1.5 inches long, having whitish bands underneath, and densely covering the branches.  Does well in warm and dry summer western US and humid mid-Atlantic and southeastern states, but does best with regular water.  Can be kept long-term in containers.

***''Abies nordmanniana'' subsp. ''equi-trojani'' - Turkish Fir

***''Abies nordmanniana'' subsp. ''equi-trojani'' - Turkish Fir

**''[[Cilician Fir|Abies cilicica]]'' - Cilician Fir

**''[[Cilician Fir|Abies cilicica]]'' - Cilician Fir

* '''Section ''Piceaster''''' (southern Spain, northwest Africa)

* '''Section ''Piceaster''''' (southern Spain, northwest Africa)

**''[[Spanish Fir|Abies pinsapo]]

**''[[Spanish Fir|Abies pinsapo]]'' - Spanish Fir. Sunset zones 5-11, 14-24, 32, 33.  Native to Spain.  Does very well in both warm/dry regions and cool/moist.  Slow growth to 50 feet.  Sometimes mistaken for a spruce (due to dense, symmetric form).  Stiff needles are deep green and .5 to .75 inches long.  They are set uniformly around branches.  'Glauca' variety is blue gray.

'' - Spanish Fir

***''Abies pinsapo'' var. ''marocana'' - Moroccan Fir

***''Abies pinsapo'' var. ''marocana'' - Moroccan Fir

**''[[Algerian Fir|Abies numidica]]'' - Algerian Fir

**''[[Algerian Fir|Abies numidica]]'' - Algerian Fir

* '''Section ''Momi''''' (east & central Asia, Himalaya, generally at low to moderate altitudes)

* '''Section ''Momi''''' (east & central Asia, Himalaya, generally at low to moderate altitudes)

**''[[Taiwan Fir|Abies kawakamii]]'' - Taiwan Fir

**''[[Taiwan Fir|Abies kawakamii]]'' - Taiwan Fir

**''[[Nikko Fir|Abies homolepis]]'' - Nikko Fir

**''[[Nikko Fir|Abies homolepis]]'' - Nikko Fir.  Sunset zones 32, 34, 36-38.  Native to Japan.  Broad, dense and formal fir up to 80 feet in height.  Densely arranged needles which point forward.  Well suited to warm and moist areas.

**''[[Min Fir|Abies recurvata]]'' - Min Fir

**''[[Min Fir|Abies recurvata]]'' - Min Fir

***''Abies recurvata'' var. ''ernestii'' - Min Fir

***''Abies recurvata'' var. ''ernestii'' - Min Fir

* '''Section ''Nobilis''''' (western [[United States|USA]], high altitudes)

* '''Section ''Nobilis''''' (western [[United States|USA]], high altitudes)

**''[[Noble Fir|Abies procera]]'' - Noble Fir

**''[[Noble Fir|Abies procera]]'' - Noble Fir. Sunset zones 3-5, 15-17, 36, 37.  This fir will grow slowly and satisfactorily in the Northeast, but does much better in the Northwest which it is native to (Northernmost California to Washington).  In gardens it grows over 100 feet tall into a narrow and graceful tree.  Inch-long needles are blue-green, branches are short and stiff, cones are 6-10 inches long and 3 inches wide, with extended bracts.

**''[[Red Fir|Abies magnifica]]'' - Red Fir

**''[[Red Fir|Abies magnifica]]'' - Red Fir

***''Abies magnifica'' var. ''shastensis'' - Shasta Red Fir

***''Abies magnifica'' var. ''shastensis'' - Shasta Red Fir

==References==

==References==

*Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608

*Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608