Fir

Revision as of 21:13, 2 September 2008 by Raffi (talk | contribs) (added some species info and did some rewriting)
Abies - firs
Korean Fir (Abies koreana) cone and foliage
Korean Fir (Abies koreana) cone and foliage
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Mill.

Species
See text
Abies grandis foliage
Intact and disintegrated Bulgarian Fir cones
Abies alba foliage from Dinaric calcareous fir forests on Mt. Orjen

Firs (Abies) are a genus of between 45-55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. All are trees, and reach heights of 10-80 m (30-260 ft) tall with trunk diameters of 0.5-4 m (2-12 ft) when mature. Firs can be distinguished from other members of the pine family by their needle-like leaves, attached to the twig by a base that resembles a small suction cup; and by erect, cylindrical cones 5-25 cm (2-10 in) long that shatter at maturity to release the winged seeds.

Douglas-firs are not true firs, being of the genus Pseudotsuga.

Species

  • Section Balsamea (Taiga|boreal Asia and North America, and high mountains further south)
    • Abies fraseri - Fraser 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 bifolia - Rocky Mountains Subalpine Fir
    • Abies lasiocarpa - Coast Range Subalpine Fir
      • Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica - Corkbark Fir
    • Abies sibirica - Siberian Fir
    • Abies sachalinensis - Sakhalin Fir
    • Abies koreana - Korean Fir
    • Abies nephrolepis - Khinghan Fir
    • Abies veitchii - Veitch's Fir
      • Abies veitchii var. sikokiana - Shikoku Fir
  • Section Grandis (western North America to Mexico and Guatemala, lowlands in north, moderate altitudes in south)
    • Abies grandis - Grand Fir or Giant Fir
      • Abies grandis var. idahoensis - Interior Grand Fir or Giant Fir
    • Abies concolor - White Fir, Sunset zones 1-9, 14-24, 34-37, 39, 41. Native to mountains of the West and Southwest, but can do well in Northwest and humid-summer parts of North and Northeast. Also does well in lower Midwest and in some lower-elevation parts of interior West. Reaches 50-70 feet in gardens. Bluish-green needles which are 1-2 inches long. 'Candicans' is bluish white.
      • Abies concolor subsp. lowiana - Low's White Fir
    • Abies durangensis - Durango Fir
      • Abies durangensis var. coahuilensis - Coahuila Fir
    • Abies flinckii - Jalisco Fir
    • Abies guatemalensis - Guatemalan Fir
  • Section Piceaster (southern Spain, northwest Africa)

- Spanish Fir

      • Abies pinsapo var. marocana - Moroccan Fir
    • Abies numidica - Algerian Fir
  • Section Amabilis (Pacific coast mountains, North America and Japan, in high rainfall mountains)

Cultivation

Propagation

Cylindrical cones 5-25 cm (2-10 in) long shatter at maturity to release the winged seeds, leaving a spiky stalk.

Pests and diseases

Firs are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Chionodes abella (recorded on White Fir), Autumnal Moth, Conifer Swift (a pest of Balsam Fir), The Engrailed, Grey Pug, Mottled Umber and Pine Beauty.

Uses

The wood of most firs is considered unsuitable for general timber use, and is often used as pulp or for the manufacture of plywood and rough timber. Nordmann Fir, Noble Fir, Fraser Fir and Balsam Fir are very popular Christmas trees, generally considered to be the best trees for this purpose, with aromatic foliage that does not shed many needles on drying out. Many are also very decorative garden trees, notably Korean Fir and Fraser Fir, which produce brightly coloured cones even when very young, still only 1-2 m (3-6 ft) tall.

Small specimens are good for container or bonsai plants.

Birds are attracted by fir seeds.

History

Taxonomy

They are most closely related to the cedars (Cedrus). Identification of the species is based on the size and arrangement of the leaves, the size and shape of the cones, and whether the bract scales of the cones are long and exserted, or short and hidden inside the cone.

Firs are sometimes confused with Spruce due to similar appearance, but firs cones grow up instead of down, and they have softer needles that fall directly from the stems, while those of the spruce leave short pegs behind when the needles fall. Douglas-firs are not true firs, being of the genus Pseudotsuga.

Distribution and habitat

Firs are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range.

References

  • Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881926248
  • American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432
  • Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608

See also

External links

Template:Pinaceae