Characteristics, properties of fir and its types. Fir - coniferous fragrant beauty White fir and high fescue are

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Powerful and durable trees with a narrow pyramidal and low crown, rounded at the top of old trees. The bark of many species is smooth gray, with protruding nodules - resin storages. In some firs, with age, the bark thickens and cracks into pieces of the crust. Skeletal branches are more or less whorled, directed obliquely upward or horizontally spread.

The needles of vegetative shoots are flat, as a rule, with a rounded or notched top, below with two light stomatal stripes, generative ones are tetrahedral, with stripes on all sides. As you can see in the photo, the needles of fir are narrowed at the base, and then expanded into a rounded heel, leaving a mark on the shoot after falling off. It can be located comb-like, covering the upper part of the shoot with a deck or sticking up.

Male cones are solitary, located in the axils of the needles on the upper side of last year's shoots. Female cones are vertical, with numerous seed and cover scales. Seed scales are broadly rounded from above, narrowed towards the base into a stalk. Covering scales with spiky tips, especially noticeable on young cones during the dusting period. As the seeds ripen, the cone disintegrates, leaving a protruding stem on the branch. Seeds ripen in the first year, angular, with a large wing.

One of the main characteristics of fir is the absence of resin passages in the wood. Unlike other conifers, the resin passages of fir are concentrated in the bark, and resin nodules form in the places of their interlacing.

The healing properties of fir have been known since ancient times. Medicines are made from all parts of these plants: bark, needles, buds, leaves. The resin (gum) of fir is also widely used in medicine. Fir is a source of essential oil with a high content of active ingredients and tannins.

Our photo gallery contains photos of the main types of fir. In total, there are about 50 of them, including hybrid ones, common in the mountain and taiga forests of the temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere, one species is found in Mexico and Guatemala.

All types of fir are divided into ten sections:

Amabilis

Balsamea

Bracteata

Piceaster

Pseudopicea.

Most types of fir are characterized by low frost resistance, and some are not frost-resistant at all, for example, Guatemalan fir. Frost-resistant are mainly firs, common in the taiga zone of the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, firs are demanding on soil fertility and the humidity regime of habitats.

Planting and growing fir

Agricultural technology. Among the firs there are many lovers of a mild climate, only a few can endure the conditions of the middle lane. When growing fir, it should be remembered that these trees grow well in the sun, but are quite shade-tolerant and require shading at a young age. They love fertile deeply cultivated soils, as a rule (except for single-colored fir), do not approve of too dry air, watering is desirable in drought. Sensitive to industrial air pollution.

For planting fir, it is preferable to choose cloudy, warm days, and it is best to plant these plants during rain. It is best to transplant fir in spring (in April) or in autumn (from late August to early October)

Application. Very beautiful neat and slender trees, suitable for parks, alleys and group compositions. Numerous varieties of different formats expand the possibilities of application in flower beds, rock gardens, rockeries, etc.

Balsam fir - Abies balsamea

In nature, the height is 15-25 m. In culture, by the age of 20 it reaches 7 m (Moscow). The bark is greyish, smooth when young, brown and scaly on old (more than 100 years old) trees. Twigs are ash-gray, shortly pubescent. The buds are greenish with a purple tint, highly resinous. The needles are 15-25 (35) mm long and 1.5 mm wide, rounded or slightly bifid at the top, dark green above, with narrow whitish stripes below, comb-shaped and protruding, on weak branches simply comb-shaped, departs from the branch under an almost straight corner, fragrant when rubbed. Cones of balsam fir are purple before maturity, 10 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter. Covering scales are about 1/2 the length of the seed scales, almost rounded, serrated above, with a short point and a narrow stalk. Found in eastern North America from Labrador to Virginia and Iowa, forming forests. Cultivated since 1697

It is recognizable by the rather short protruding needles, in which a more or less clear “parting” is visible. Very winter hardy.

Varieties of balsam fir

About 20 varieties of balsam fir are known. On sale there is both a wild form, and some of them.

Fir variety ‘Nana’(‘Globosa’) (before 1866). A very popular dwarf variety with a dense crown of a rounded flattened shape. At 10 years old, height - 0.5 m, width - 1 m. The branches are short, randomly spread. The needles are shorter than those of the wild form, 4-10 mm long, emerald green, deviated downwards, located radially on young shoots, comb-shaped on old ones, with a clear “parting”.

Fir variety ‘Piccolo’(1987, Germany). Smaller variety than Nana, but similar in shape. The needles are bluish-green, often located radially, rejected downward.

Fir variety ‘Kiwi’. Very dense dwarf rounded variety. The needles are bluish-green, located radially.

White fir, or European - Abies alba

In nature, it grows up to 30-60 m tall. In culture, it grows slowly, at 10 years old - about 2 m (Moscow), at 30 years old - 5 m (St. Petersburg).

The branches are horizontally spread, the lower ones die off early. The bark is smooth, grayish, cracking in old age. Twigs are gray, with short and stiff brown pubescence, often with blackish warts. Buds of white fir (European) without resin. Needles 15-30 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, rounded or bifid at the top, dark green above, shiny, below with two white stripes. Comb-shaped.

Cones 10-17 cm long, 3-5 cm in diameter, greenish before maturity. Seed scales 25-30 mm wide, wedge-shaped, rounded, with a rather long (up to 9 mm) stalk, felted on the outside. The covering scales are longer than the seed scales, protrude and bend back. It occurs in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe, forms pure and mixed plantations with various hardwoods, mainly beech. The wild form is quite rare for sale.

It freezes in severe winters and recovers.

About 6 varieties have been registered. The most common of them is 'Pyramidalis' ('Pyramidalis Compacta') (1850, England). This is a slowly growing dense and narrow pyramidal form with short raised branches, reaching 3 m in height by 10 years. The maximum height is 10 m. The needles are dark green, 1-2 cm long, radial.

Fir high, or noble - Abies procera (A. nobilis)

In good conditions, it is a tall tree with reddish-brown bark. In culture, noble fir grows in a bushy manner, reaching 1.2 m in height (St. Petersburg). Twigs with small rusty pubescence. The kidneys are resinous. The needles on old shoots are comb-shaped, on young shoots they stick up, shorter on the upper side of the shoot than the lateral ones, 25-35 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, rounded at the end, bluish-green, with narrow pale stripes on the underside. There is a form (var. glauca, can be offered as a variety ‘Glauca’) with completely blue needles. Cones are large cylindrical. Found on the west coast of the USA. In culture since 1831 Malozimostoyka in the middle lane.

Varieties of noble fir with a photo

There are more than 10 varieties, mainly produced from the gray form. Dwarf and prostrate forms are recommended, which can winter under snow.

Noble fir variety ‘Blaue Hexe’(1965, Germany). A dwarf variety with a wide cushion-shaped crown. Runs are short. The needles are short, wide, bluish-green. Witch's broom.

Variety of noble fir ‘Bizarro’. Dwarf wide pyramidal form, very dense. The needles are bluish-green. By the age of 10, it reaches 1 m in height.

Variety of noble fir ‘Glauca Prostrata’(‘Compacta’, ‘Procumbens’) (1928, England). Cultivariant. Slow growing prostrate variety with irregular branching. Height 1 m, width -1.5 m. The needles are very blue. Obtained by grafting a side branch of ‘Glauca’ variety. To maintain the shape, it is necessary to periodically pluck the leading vertical shoots.

Vicha Fir - Abies veitchii

In nature, it grows up to 30-40 m in height (up to 15 m in 10 years). In a culture of 40 years, more than 12 m tall (Moscow). It grows slowly, freezes. The bark is smooth greyish. Twigs gray, brown, densely pubescent. Vicha fir has purple, highly resinous buds. The needles are dense, almost comb-shaped on old branches, on young branches sticking obliquely forward, 10-25 mm long and about 2 mm wide, notched at the top, shiny dark green above, with bright white stomatal stripes below. Cones are cylindrical 4.5-6.5 cm long, bluish-purple before maturity. Covering scales slightly protrude and bent.

Native to the mountains of central Japan. Introduced in 1861

Close to Korean fir, from which it differs in longer needles. The same beautiful tree with two-tone needles, the contrasting color of which is noticeable from a distance.

Vicha fir varieties

Registered 6 varieties, but they are rarely marked for sale.

Vicha fir variety ‘Heddergott’(‘Hexenbessen Heddergott’) (1986, Germany). Dwarf shrub with a vase-shaped crown. The annual growth is 3-5 cm. The needles are bright green with a silvery lining.

Variety of fir Vicha ‘Pendula’(‘Jeddeloh Weeping’) (1970, Germany). A graceful form with drooping branches, the central leader can also be bent. Height at 10 years is about 2.5 m.

Vicha fir variety ‘Rumburk’(c. 2001, USA). Dwarf, dense, cushion-shaped. Annual growth of 2.5-5 cm per year.

Korean fir - Abies koreana

Korean fir is one of the most beautiful and winter-hardy firs, widely distributed in culture. The neat arrangement of short rounded needles is characteristic, which makes the shoots look like “brushes” for dishes.

A relatively low tree, reaching 18 m in nature. In cultivation, it grows by about 3 m in 20 years. The bark is smooth, gray, reddish-brown in old age, cracking. Twigs are yellowish with sparse pubescence, later becoming bare. Korean fir buds are almost without resin. The needles are stiff, dense, sticking out, evenly covering the upper part of the shoot, 1020 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, slightly expanding upwards, with a rounded or pointed (in young plants) top, dark green and shiny above, with pale wide below. stomatal stripes. Cones 4-7 cm long, 2.5 cm in diameter, violet-purple before maturity. The ends of the covering scales stick out slightly and are bent back. Homeland - Korea, where it grows in mountain forests. In culture since 1908

One of the most beautiful and at the same time winter-hardy firs, widespread in culture. The neat arrangement of short rounded needles is characteristic, which makes the shoots look like “brushes” for dishes.

Varieties of Korean fir in the photo

You can buy both the wild form and many varieties of Korean fir from us, of which at least 70 are registered in total. Among them there are a lot of hard-to-distinguish dwarf compact “pillows” that can be grafted onto a bole.

Korean fir variety ‘Aurea’(1956, Canada). Lower (up to 3 m) and slower growing than the wild form. The needles are yellow, especially bright in autumn. 'Luminetta' can also be offered under this name.

Korean fir variety ‘Blauer Eskimo’(1990, Germany). Witch's broom of the 'Blaue Pfiff' variety, even denser, irregular cushion-shaped or hemispherical shape. The annual growth is about 2 cm. The needles are bluish-gray.

Korean fir variety ‘Blauer Pfiff’(‘Blue Hit’) (Germany). A small tree with irregular branching and no clear central leader. The crown can be wide conical or oval. The needles are bluish. This variety of Korean fir was obtained by induced mutation (seed irradiation).

Korean fir variety ‘Blue Emperor’(2002, England). Dense compact variety with a wide crown, grows vertically, but does not have a pronounced central leader. The needles are intense blue. Purple cones.

Korean fir variety ‘Blue Magic’(1990, Germany). Very beautiful dwarf pyramidal variety with blue needles and abundant lilac buds. Improved 'Blauer Pfiff'.

Korean fir variety ‘Brillant’. Dwarf, low and dense, with an even crown, growing in width. The needles are bright green. By the age of 10, it reaches 20 cm in height.

Korean fir variety ‘Cis’(1989, Holland). Miniature, very dense, in the form of a wide bump. The needles are dark green, small. Growth 1-2 cm per year.

Korean fir variety ‘Compact Dwarf’('Compacta'). As the name implies, a reduced copy of the wild form, wider and denser, symmetrical. The needles are bluish-green. Rarely brings cones. Growth 5-8 cm per year. By the age of 10, it does not even reach 1 m in height.

Korean fir variety ‘Dark Hill’(until 1990, Germany). The crown is compact, flattened-rounded. At 15 years old, it reaches 0.7 m in height and 1.2 m in width. The needles are very dark.

Korean fir variety ‘Doni Tajusho’(circa 2001). Miniature variety in the form of a ball, bright green. The needles are very small.

Korean fir variety ‘Green Carpet’(1990, Holland). Semi-dwarf low variety without a central leader with widely spread branches. The needles are pure green. The annual growth is 10 cm. By the age of 10, it reaches 1 m in height with a width of at least 2 m.

Korean fir variety ‘Inga’. Dwarf. A wide compact pyramid with bluish, even needles.

Korean fir variety ‘Ice Breaker’(circa 2004). Witch's broom from the 'Silberlocke' variety. A miniature variety with needles turned inside out, so that only their underside, silvery side, is visible. The annual growth is about 3 cm. Effective on the trunk.

Korean fir variety ‘Kula’. Dwarf, slow-growing variety in the form of a wide dense pyramid. By the age of 10, it reaches 50 cm in height. The needles are pure green, very short.

Korean fir variety ‘Luminetta’(‘Lutea’) (Holland). The needles, especially on young shoots, are yellowish, turning green by autumn. It grows more slowly than the wild form.

Korean fir variety ‘Molly’. Compact, slow growing variety with dark green needles. The branches are raised, the central leader is clearly expressed.

Korean fir variety ‘Oberon’. A miniature variety with a rounded, later somewhat conical crown. The needles are dark green, very even, short, spirally arranged. At the age of 10 years, height 30 (40) cm.

Korean fir variety ‘Pancake’. Dwarf, in the form of a pillow. The branches are short, sticking out. The needles are bluish.

Korean fir variety ‘Piccolo’(until 1979, Holland). A variety with an unexpressed, decumbent central leader. Branches outstretched and drooping. It mainly grows in width and can reach 1.5 m by the age of 10 at a height of 30 cm. The needles are rare, bluish, tucked.

Korean fir variety ‘Pinocchio’(1981, USA). A miniature witch's broom with bright green, very dense and fine needles. Annual growth up to 5 cm. Usually grafted onto a trunk and has a rounded shape.

Korean fir variety ‘Silver Star’. A variation on the theme of the more famous ‘Silberlocke’. Perhaps it has more rare and splayed branches.

Korean fir variety ‘Silberkugel’('Silver Globe', 'Pompon', 'Hexenbesen Wustermeyen') (until 1986, Germany). Dwarf, very dense, with a rounded crown formed by horizontally outstretched and somewhat twisted branches around the trunk. The growth is about 1 cm per year. Needles up to 1 cm long, yellowish or light green above, slightly inverted, like ‘Silberlocke’.

Korean fir variety ‘Silberlocke’('Horstmann's Silverlocke', 'Silver Curls', 'Silverlade', 'Silverlock') (until 1983, Germany). There are forms in the form of a straight tree obtained by grafting the shoot of the central axis, and in the form of a crooked tree from grafting a side branch. It grows slowly, with difficulty reaching 1.5 m in height. The needles, especially on young shoots, are twisted up and inward, so that a silvery underside is visible. Fruits abundantly, cones are green or purple. With an excess of fertilizer, it tends to straighten the needles.

Korean fir variety ‘Taiga’(‘Procumbens’) (1984, Germany). Dwarf flattened variety. The needles are dark green. Fruits early, purple buds.

Korean fir variety ‘Tordis’. Dwarf, pyramidal with a symmetrical crown. The needles are dark green, slightly twisted up.

Korean fir variety ‘Tundra’(until 1993). Dwarf variety with a hemispherical or almost rounded crown. Height 0.4 m, width - 0.6 m. The surface is even, dense. The needles are bright green, small. Fruits at an early age. Buds are bluish.

Korean fir variety ‘Veredlung’. Semi-dwarf, asymmetric, up to 1.5 m high and 3 m wide, grown as a wide shrub, for which the central leader is cut out. Annual growth up to 10 cm. The needles are even, pure green. Begins to bear fruit early. Buds are red-purple.

Korean fir variety ‘Verdener Dom’(until 2001, Germany). Semi-dwarf dense variety in the form of a pyramid with a clear central leader. The needles are bright green. Fruiting, purple buds.

Korean fir variety ‘Zipfelmutze’. Hybrid variety (A. koreana x A. pinsapo) with splayed greyish-green needles, rare but very neat. Perhaps not winter-hardy enough, since Spanish fir is very thermophilic.

Nordmann fir, or Caucasian fir - Abies nordmanniana

Caucasian fir is a tall tree up to 50 m. In a culture at 10 years old, the height is 1.3 m (Moscow), at 25 years old - 4.4 m (St. Petersburg), it freezes over in harsh winters. The bark is greyish-brown, cracking with age. The twigs are light brown, pubescent, but quickly balding. The kidneys are not resinous. The needles are dark green, shiny, above and with whitish stripes below, 1540 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm wide, bifid at the top, comb-shaped on the old part of the shoot, flat at the tops. The cone is cylindrical, 12-20 cm long, reddish-brown with protruding covering scales.

The culture received its second name (Nordmann fir) by the name of Alexander von Nordmann (1803-1866), a professor of botany at the University of Helsinki.

The birthplace of the Caucasian fir is the Caucasus, Türkiye. In culture since 1848

The wild form is often sold as a "Christmas tree".

Varieties of Nordmann fir in the photo

There are over a dozen varieties. Given the low winter hardiness, creeping and dwarf forms are preferred.

Fir ‘Barabits Compact’(until 1990, Hungary). A dwarf compact variety with a flat top. The needles are green. Annual growth 5-7 cm.

Fir ‘Golden Spreader’(‘Aurea Nana’) (1961, Holland). Semi-dwarf very dense and slow growing variety. The crown is initially cushion-shaped, with age in the form of a wide pyramid with dense layers of outstretched branches. The annual growth is 4-5 cm. The needles are yellow, up to 2.5 cm long.

Single color fir - Abies concolor

In nature, it reaches 40 m, in a culture at 30 years old, a height of 8 m (Moscow). The bark is gray, smooth, cracking on old trees. Twigs yellowish-green, almost bare, resinous buds.

The needles are located rather chaotically, but mostly crescent-shaped and twisted upwards, one-color, bluish-green, long, 4-6 cm and 2-2.5 mm wide, sharp or rounded at the top, convex from the top, and especially from the bottom. . Cones are 7-12 cm long, greenish or purple before maturity, seed scales are narrow - up to 2.5 cm wide, coverts are hidden.

Homeland - the mountains of the southwestern United States. In culture since 1872

One of our most common firs. It is very winter-hardy, beautiful and well recognizable by its long chaotic and monophonic needles.

Single color fir varieties

There are about 30 varieties of single-colored fir - all of them have a wide variety of shapes and possible colors. The number of dwarf and miniature varieties is constantly growing, this fir is one of the favorite objects for selection.

Solid fir variety 'Archer's Dwarf'(until 1982, England). A dwarf variety with a dense crown that changes with age from flattened to broadly conical. Height at 10 years 0.8 m. The needles are very blue.

Single color fir variety ‘Blue Safir’(‘Blue Saphir, ‘Blue Sapphire’) (Czech Republic). Miniature variety. At 10 years old, the height is 0.3 m. The crown is cushion-shaped, very dense. The needles are short, blue. Witch's broom of the 'Violaceae' variety.

Solid fir variety ‘Kalleberg’s Weeping Blue’(Austria). Weeping variety with silvery needles. Several more varieties with a weeping crown ‘Pendula’, ‘Fagerhult’ (until 1933, Sweden) and others are known. They can be grafted onto a trunk to limit growth.

Variety of single-color fir ‘Kojakovice’(Czech Republic). Miniature. The crown is flattened, dense. The needles are narrow, blue, spaced. Witch's broom.

Variety of single-color fir ‘Violacea’(‘Atroviolacea’, ‘Purpurea’) (1879). A group of clones and seedlings. It has the same habitus as the wild form. The needles are intensely silvery blue. Buds purple-violet. It occurs in nature and among seedlings in nurseries.

One-color fir is one of the most common firs in Russia. It is very winter-hardy, beautiful and well recognizable by its long chaotic and monophonic needles. In nature, it reaches 40 m, in a culture at 30 years old, a height of 8 m (Moscow).

Variety of single-color fir ‘Wintergold’(until 1979, Germany). Habitus as in the wild form, but grows more slowly. The needles on young shoots are yellowish-green, turning green with age. Especially bright, after frosts.

Variety of single-color fir ‘Wintergold Prostrata’. The crown is open, the branches are creeping. The shape of the needles is like that of the wild form, green in summer, turning yellow in winter.

Kidney fir, or white-bark - Abies nephrolepis

Tree up to 20 m in height. The crown is dense. The bark of young trees is very light, with numerous resin nodules, darkens with age. Young shoots are yellowish with reddish pubescence. Kidneys ovoid, obtuse, with thick resin. Needles 13-25 (30) mm long, 1.3-2 mm wide, dark green, shiny, radially arranged below with whitish stripes. Cones 4.5-6.5 x 2-2.3 cm, first reddish, then purple. Covering scales are not visible.

The most common type of fir in the Far East, also bud-scale fir is found in China and Korea. Introduced in 1908. Winter-hardy, may be damaged by spring frosts. At a young age, it grows slowly. Demanding on air humidity, shade-tolerant.

Registered, several little common varieties.

Sakhalin fir -Abies sachalinensis

In nature, up to 40 m tall. The crown is dense, conical. The bark is smooth, gray with resin nodules. Young shoots are light or reddish brown, with long light hairs in grooves. Sakhalin fir buds are small, with a purple tint, resinous.

The needles are dense, radial. Needles with a round or weakly apex, 16-35 (40) mm long and 1-2 mm wide, with whitish stripes below. Cones 6-8 x 2.5-3 cm, young greenish, mature almost black. It grows on Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, in Japan. In culture since 1878

Winter-hardy. Demanding on air humidity.

Siberian fir - Abies sibirica

In nature, it reaches 30 (40) m in height, in a culture of 40 years, the height is about 8 m (Moscow), there are trees up to 25 m. The bark is smooth, gray. The lower branches hang down to the ground and take root. Twigs are yellow-gray, finely pubescent. Siberian fir buds are small, resinous.

The needles are relatively soft, fragrant, 15-40 mm long and about 1.5-2 mm wide, rounded or notched at the end, bright green and shiny above, below with narrow grayish stripes, comb-like on shaded shoots or densely covering their upper side. Cone 510 cm long, brown-red or bluish before maturation. Seed scales are about 1.5 cm long with a serrated edge, covering scales are half as long as them. It occurs naturally in the taiga zone of Russia, in the mountains of Mongolia and Kazakhstan. In culture since 1820

Found in gardens and parks. Bred by local nurseries. Very hardy and relatively fast growing.

There are more than 10 varieties of Siberian fir, but they have not received distribution.

Subalpine fir -Abies lasiocarpa (A. subalpina)

In nature, subalpine fir grows up to 50 m tall, in a culture of 20 years about 6 m, at a young age it grows slowly. The bark is smooth, silver-gray. The twigs are gray, with short reddish hairs, the buds are resinous.

The needles are dense, ruffled, directed upwards and forwards, 15-40 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, pointed or round at the top, light, bluish green, slightly notched above and with stomatal stripes, below with wide light stripes. Cones 6-10 cm long, with narrow scales, covering scales are hidden.

It is found in the western states from Alaska to New Mexico in mountain forests. Variety Arizona var. arizonica, which is found in the mountains of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, can stand out as an independent species - Arizona fir (A. arizonica). It is notable for its especially light bark and silvery, clearly combed needles. In culture since 1863

Very beautiful and completely winter-hardy fir with a characteristic color of protruding needles.

Varieties of subalpine fir

More than 30 cultivars are known, produced primarily from the Arizona variety:

Fir variety ‘Argentea’(‘Arizonica Argentea’, ‘Glauca’, Abies arizonica var. argentea, Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica ‘Argentea’) (about 1900, Germany). It has a wild habit. The needles are exceptionally beautiful, silvery. There may be several clones under this name.

Fir variety ‘Compacta’(‘Arizonica Compacta’) (1879, Holland). Semi-dwarf, dense, slow-growing variety with a rounded crown that becomes broadly pyramidal with age. At the age of 55, he has a height of 5.1 m (St. Petersburg). The needles are silvery. Some do not consider these names synonymous and distinguish between the greener and taller 'Compacta' and the completely silver 'Arizonica Compacta' ('Compacta Glauca').

Fir variety ‘Green Globe’(until 1979, USA). Dwarf variety, with a dense rounded crown. The needles are more green than bluish. Annual growth 2.5-5 cm.

Fraser fir -Abies fraseri

In nature, Fraser fir reaches 25 m, in a culture of 14 years, the height is up to 5 m (Moscow). It is similar to balsam fir, from which it differs in smaller cones with protruding curved points of cover scales and the number of stomatal lines. Balsam fir has 4-8 on each strip, Fraser fir has 8-12. It is considered even more winter-hardy. In nature, it is found in the southeastern United States in the Allergan Mountains. In culture since 1811

There are at least 25 varieties, not marked in Russia.

Whole-leaved or black Manchurian fir - Abies holophylla

The height of wild trees is up to 60 m, in a culture of 30 years the height is 8 m (Moscow), in St. Petersburg there are trees up to 17 m tall. The bark is dark gray-brown, even almost black, rough, in old trees with large longitudinal cracks. Branches of whole-leaved fir are yellowish-gray, bare, resinous buds.

- This is an evergreen plant with a conical crown. The top of the fir starts from the base of the bole. In mature trees, the top of the crown is rounded or notched.

The color of the periderm is gray, it is not wrinkled in most. The periderm of mature trees becomes thicker and cracks over time. Some types of garden have needles of a green-gray or green-blue color. The needles of most trees are flat, dark green in color with milky stripes below.

Fir has a pleasant coniferous smell. There are about forty species of fir, but not all of them are suitable for landscape design, as individual plants grow up to sixty meters. The cones are located at the top of the crown. The development of cones takes decades. Fir cones fall to the ground in woody parts. Fir root is taproot, strong.

There are firs with decorative cones, these include the following types: Korean fir, Vicha fir, plain fir, Fraser fir, Siberian fir. Fir is divided into species, which, in turn, have a variety of varieties. Below are the most popular and common varieties of fir.

Did you know? A distinctive feature of fir plants is the location of the resin passages in the periderm, and not in the wood.

Homeland - North America and Canada. The top of the tree is symmetrical, dense, pin-shaped, located low. Plant height - from 15 to 25 meters. With age, the periderm changes its color from ash-gray to red-brown, and the shoots change from ruby ​​to red-brown. The branches are placed in an annular fashion in tiers. The needles are shiny, poisonous green, with a pronounced balsamic smell, small purple cones.
Cones are cylindrical, up to ten centimeters long. This type of fir is shade-tolerant, frost-resistant and fast-growing. The branches of the lower tier take root well. Balsam fir is represented by several decorative garden forms such as Nana and Hudsonia.

Nana Balsam Fir is a slow growing dwarf shrub. The bush is mundane, pillow-shaped, the height does not exceed fifty centimeters, and the diameter is eighty centimeters. The needles of the shrub are short, ruby ​​in color, strongly knocked down, pleasantly smelling. Nana is winter-hardy, but does not tolerate high temperatures and drought.

Monochrome fir is native to the highlands of the United States and northern Mexico. Trees grow up to sixty meters. The crown is wide conical. The periderm is dense, light gray in color with oblong fissures. The needles of a single-colored fir are the largest among other species, its length is about six centimeters.
The color of the needles is bluish-green matte on all sides, they are soft and have a pleasant lemon aroma. Cones are dark purple in color, their length reaches 12 cm, the shape is oval-cylindrical. Single-colored fir is a fast-growing tree, hardy to winds, smoke, droughts and frosts. Lives for about 350 years. Solid fir has several decorative forms, among them popular varieties such as Violacea and Compacta.

Violacea is a lilac one-color fir. The top of the tree is wide, conical, the height does not exceed eight meters. Needles are oblong, white-blue. This form of fir is rare in ornamental plantings.
Kampakta is a dwarf, slow-growing shrub with chaotically placed branches. The length of the needles reaches forty centimeters, the color is blue. Just like Violaceu, it can be found very rarely.

Kefallin fir (Greek)

Kefallin fir lives in the south of Albania and in Greece, in the mountains at an altitude of up to two thousand meters above sea level. In height, the plant grows up to 35 meters, the diameter of the trunk reaches two meters. The umbo is dense, conical, low. The periderm becomes cracked over time. Juveniles are bare, polished to the touch, shiny, bright brown or red-brown in color. The kidneys are cone-shaped, resinous red-lilac color.
Needles up to 3.5 cm long and not more than three millimeters wide. The tips of the needles are sharp, the needles themselves are shiny and thick, dark green above and pale green below. The needles are arranged spirally, closely to each other. Cones are narrow, cylindrical, resinous, large. At first, the buds are lilac in color, and as they mature, they become brown-purple. Greek fir is drought-resistant, grows slowly, and is afraid of cold winters.

Whole-leaved fir (black Manchurian)

The homeland of whole-leaved fir is the south of Primorye, Northern China and Korea. The tree grows up to 45 meters. The crown is dense, broadly pyramidal, loose, lowered to the ground. A distinctive feature of this type of fir is the color of the bark - at first it is dark gray, and then black. In young seedlings, the periderm is yellow-gray in color. The needles are dense, hard, sharp, solid. The top of the needles of a dark green color is shiny, and the bottom is lighter.
The needles are arranged on the branches in waves. Black Manchurian fir changes its needles every nine years. Cones are cylindrical, light brown in color, resinous, velvety-pubescent. The first ten years of life grows slowly, and then the growth increases rapidly. The lifespan of a tree is 400 years. The tree is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, wind-resistant, requires high soil and environmental moisture.

Fir Nordmann (Caucasian)

The homeland of the Caucasian fir is the western Caucasus and Türkiye. Nordmann fir grows up to 60 meters in height, trunk diameter - up to two meters. The crown is narrow cone-shaped, densely branched. Young plantations have a shiny light brown or yellow periderm, which turns gray over time. Juveniles are shiny red-brown, and then white-gray.
The needles are dark green, dense, the bottom of the needles is silver. You can rarely meet, because the tree has low winter hardiness. There are several varieties of fir for decorative cultivation: Pendula Aurea, Gtauka, Albo-spicata.

Did you know? The lifespan of a Nordmann fir is five hundred years.

Sakhalin fir comes from Sakhalin and Japan. The plant is highly decorative, up to thirty meters high, has a smooth periderm of a dark steel color, which becomes darker as it grows. The diameter of the seedling does not exceed one meter. The branches of the wide-conical dense crown are slightly curved upwards.
The needles are soft, dark green in color, with milky stripes below. The length of the needles reaches four centimeters, the width is no more than two millimeters. Cones are placed vertically, the shape is cylindrical. The color of the cones is brown or black-blue, length 8 cm, diameter 3 cm. The plant is frost-resistant, requires high moisture content in the air and soil.

Fir subalpine (mountain)

Mountain fir is native to the high mountains of North America. The height does not exceed 40 meters, the trunk is 60 cm in diameter. The tops of the trees are undersized, narrowly conical. Subalpine fir has a smooth gray periderm covered with small cracks. The top of the needles is matte grass blue, and the bottom has two white stripes. The needles are attached in two rows. Subalpine fir has cylindrical cones, maturation occurs annually at the end of August. There are types of mountain fir suitable for ornamental cultivation.
Argentea is a mountain fir with silver needles. Glauka is a subalpine fir up to 12 meters high, with a pyramid-shaped crown and oblong steel or blue needles. Compact - a dwarf fir no more than one and a half meters in height with a wide, well-branched crown. Needles of a silver-sky color, with bluish stripes below. The shape of the needles is like a sickle, 3 cm long. The needles are located tightly. Low-growing varieties are widely distributed among amateur gardeners.

Important! Young fir seedlings must be covered for the winter, as they are afraid of spring frosts.

It grows in mountain ranges from one hundred to 1850 meters above sea level in the south of the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island. This type of fir was discovered in 1907. The seedling does not grow above 15 meters. Young growth is first yellow, and then red, covered with thin villi. The needles are short, shiny dark green above, white below. Cones of a beautiful bright blue with a purple tint. It grows slowly, winter-hardy.
Varieties such as Blue Standard are widespread - tall trees with dark purple cones; Brevifolia - a tree with a rounded top, swamp-green needles at the top and gray-white bottom, small purple cones; Silberzwerg - a low, slow-growing variety of fir with silver-colored needles, a rounded crown and short, densely branched branches; Piccolo is a shrub about thirty centimeters high, reaches a diameter of up to one and a half meters with a flat, sprawling crown, needles of a dark grassy color.

Fir high (noble)

Fir high reaches a height of 100 meters. The birthplace of noble fir is the western part of North America. The habitat is river valleys and gentle slopes near the ocean. This is practically the highest type of fir. It has a cone-shaped crown when the seedlings are young, and with the age of the seedling, the crown will become domed. Young growth has a gray-brown smooth periderm, and older seedlings have a dark brown periderm covered with oblong cracks.
Young branches of an olive-green or red-brown shade, in a cannon. Older branches are bare. The needles are small, curved at the base. The top of the needles is brilliant green, and the bottom is gray. The shape of the cones is oblong-cylindrical, up to 12 cm long, 4 cm in diameter. The life span of a noble fir is about 250 years. The seedling grows quickly.

Did you know? Periderm, needles and fir buds are used for the manufacture of medicinal preparations. They contain essential oils and tannins.

The birthplace of fir is Central Japan, the habitat is mountains. The height is about forty meters. The branches of the plant are short, located perpendicular to the trunk, the crown is pyramidal. The trunk is covered with a smooth white-gray periderm. The young growth is covered with pubescent periderm of gray or emerald color.
The needles are soft, slightly curved, no more than 2.5 cm. The top of the needles is shiny dark green, the bottom is decorated with milky stripes. The length of the cones is about 7 cm. Unripe cones of a red-gray-purple color eventually acquire a chestnut color. The plant is winter-hardy, fast-growing, resistant to smoke.

This type of fir is native to North America. The height of the tree is 25 meters, the top is pyramid-shaped or conical. The young fir trunk is covered with a gray periderm, and the old trunk is red, the branches are yellow-gray. The needles are short, shiny dark green above and silver below. Cones are short decorative, in a mature state of a purple-brown color.
The plant is winter-hardy, but does not tolerate air pollution. Fraser fir is used for landscaping parks, forest parks and suburban areas. There is a shrub with perpendicular placement of branches - prostrate Fraser fir.

The birthplace of Siberian fir is Siberia. Rarely found in landscaping. The height of the plant does not exceed thirty meters. The crown is narrow, cone-shaped. The branches are thin, lowered to the ground. The periderm at the bottom of the trunk is cracked, at the top it is not rough, dark gray. Shoots are covered with thick pile. The needles are soft, narrow and blunt at the end, up to three centimeters long.

The color of the needles is dark green, shiny at the top and two parallel milky stripes at the bottom. Siberian fir changes its needles every 11 years. Cones are erect, cylindrical, initially light chestnut or light purple, and then light brown in color. The plant is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant. There is a Siberian blue, white, motley. They differ only in the color of the needles.

Important! Fir cannot be planted in absolute shade, since its top is fully formed only with sufficient light.

White fir (European)

White fir is a plant that grows up to 65 meters with a trunk diameter of up to one and a half meters. The crown of the plant is cone-shaped. The periderm is white-gray with a red tint. Young European fir is green or light chestnut in color, eventually becoming gray-chestnut. The needles are dark green, silvery below. European fir is native to Central and Southern Europe. The tree grows slowly, does not like windy areas. times already
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white fir

White fir, or Comb fir, European white fir, European fir(Abies alba)

An evergreen tree, a species of the genus Fir of the Pine family (Pinaceae).

An evergreen tree up to 30-65 m tall, with a trunk up to 2 meters in diameter.

The crown is sharp-pyramidal in youth, oval-pointed in middle age and blunted above, nest-like, in old age.

white fir

The bark is smooth, silver-gray.

Lateral branches are horizontally spread or slightly raised upwards.

The needles are 2-3 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, located on the branches in the same plane, comb-shaped. Blunt or slightly notched at ends. Above dark green, shiny, below two white stripes of stomata.

The plant is monoecious, dioecious.

Young fruit cones are green, mature ones are dark brown, oval-cylindrical, 10-16 cm long, 3-4 cm in diameter. Unlike spruce, they are directed not down, but up. Cones ripen and crumble in the first autumn.

Seeds are large, up to 1 cm long.

The root system is deep, there is a tap root and several strong lateral ones.

Lives up to 300-400 years.

white fir

For successful growth, white fir requires fertile, fairly moist soils. Does not tolerate swamping.

It does not tolerate dry air and soil. It freezes when the temperature drops below -25C.

Shade-tolerant, sensitive to air pollution by smoke and gases.

In decorative terms, it is inferior to Caucasian fir and Siberian fir, as it has looser needles and a trunk that is exposed from below rather early.

Areas of use: the south of the Baltic states, the west of Ukraine, the south-west of Belarus. In the conditions of Moscow and St. Petersburg, it regularly freezes over.

It is used as a rootstock for the propagation of ornamental varieties of various types of fir.

Landing. Special preparation in the form of stratification for fir seeds is not needed.

In March, the seeds can be soaked for 2-3 weeks in cold water to swell. We plant fir seeds in the garden in April, the seeds are planted to a depth of 2 cm in the soil, consisting of sand and turf. You can cover the bed with a film to speed up the emergence of seedlings. Tender green seedlings will appear in 3-4 weeks.

A tree 30-55 (65) m tall and a trunk 1.5 m in diameter, with an almost cylindrical crown cone-shaped in old age and a nest-shaped top. The branches are horizontally spaced, the lower ones, even in freely growing trees, die off early, and the trunk is bare from below. The bark is smooth, white-gray, often with a strong reddish tint, sometimes cracking in the lower part of the trunk from the age of 40-50. Young shoots are grey, coarsely hairy. Up to 8-10 years old it grows very slowly, then up to 100 years old it grows quite fast and then slowly again. Buds ovoid, light brown, not resinous. The needles are 17-30 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, dark green above, shiny, comb-like; sticking up on cone-bearing branches.

Cones obtusely cylindrical, 10-16 (20) cm long, 3-5 cm thick, brown, seed scales broadly reniform, pubescent on the outside; coverts, with a long protruding and backward bent point. Seeds 7-9 (12) mm long, yellowish, with reddish-yellow wing twice as long. In 1 kg there are 15-17 (22) thousand seeds, fresh ones have a germination rate of 70-80% (usual germination rate is 40-60%). Harvest years are repeated after 2-3 years, in harsh conditions after 4-6 years. Maturity from 30 years, in plantations from 50-70. Seedlings with 5, rarely 4-6 cotyledons appear on the 20-30th day after sowing. The root system is deep, consists of a taproot and 3-5 strong, lateral roots. Lives up to 300-400 and sporadically up to 700 years.

motherland: grows in the mountains of central, southern and partly western Europe. On the territory of the former USSR, it grows wild only in the Carpathians and apart from the general area and in small quantities in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In the mountains it forms a belt with a lower boundary at an altitude of 300-1,300 m and an upper one at an altitude of about 2,000 m, ending with forests.

Within its range, it gives both pure and mixed plantations with various hardwoods, mainly with beech. The distribution of European fir in the mountains is mainly associated with high constant air humidity and heavy rainfall, as well as mild winters and cool summers. Eastern border of the range , according to Rubner, is climatic, due to dry air and winter frosts, to which very sensitive. So, in the harsh winter of 1928-1929, when the temperature dropped below -35 ° C, natural and artificial plantations in Poland, Silesia, the Sudetes and East Prussia, many even old trees were severely frozen and died.

Requires fairly deep, loose, moist, loamy or sandy soils for good growth; grows very poorly on poor dry sandy soils and on stagnant waterlogged soils. Very sensitive to air pollution. In decorative terms, it is significantly inferior to Caucasian fir, having loose needles and a trunk that is exposed from below, even with free growth. Therefore recommend breeding anywhere in Russia is impossible. In all cases, breeding of Caucasian fir should be preferred, the seeds of which are also much easier to obtain.

In Russia, it was bred for decorative purposes. It grows more or less well and bears fruit only in the humid Transcaucasia and in the west of Ukraine and Belarus (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bforest distribution with the participation of hornbeam). In St. Petersburg, it grows only in protected places, reaching 5 m in height at the age of 30; often freezes. In Moscow it usually freezes out; only a specimen grown from seeds obtained from the most eastern part of the natural distribution area survived and reached 3 m in height at the age of 25.

1 - cone, 2 - young cone, 3 - shoot with female spikelets, 4 - shoot with male spikelets, 5 - seed, 6 - scales, 7 - bud, 8 - needles, 9 - cross section of needles.

White fir, European or comb ( )

Fir is a coniferous tree with numerous medicinal, decorative qualities, as well as technical characteristics of wood, due to which it (Fir) is widely used in many areas of human activity.

For example, both medicinal compounds and traditional varnishes for wood are produced from resin (resin extract from wood) of coniferous trees.

Coniferous wood - processed and unprocessed, is massively used in the construction of baths and saunas, residential buildings, artistic carving, etc. In landscape design, Fir and other conifers are famous for their decorative effect, the ability to remain green spaces year-round, as well as their unique quality to purify the air from harmful substances and organisms.

Fir species popular in landscaping

Considered in another article, they have many different species that grow in different climatic zones. The most famous Fir species are as follows:

• Siberian fir;
• Fir Nordman (Caucasian);
• Fir White or European comb;
• Fir Semenov;
• Fir Whole-leaved;
• White Fir;
• Fir Kamchatka;
• Fir Sakhalin;
• Myra fir.

Siberian fir grows in the north-eastern part of Russia, in Eastern Siberia, Mongolia, China. This plant belongs to the most important forest-forming species of coniferous forests.

The height of this evergreen coniferous tree is 30 m, the diameter of the trunk is up to 1.5 m. Siberian fir occupies about 95% of the entire area of ​​​​Fir forests.

Observations have shown that this plant regenerates well under the canopy of various other tree species, due to its shade tolerance.

As a beautiful ornamental plant, Siberian Fir is planted in gardens and parks.

Fir Nordmann (Caucasian) grows in the Western Caucasus, on the Black Sea coast of Russia, in Turkey - along the slopes of the Pontic Mountains. This is an evergreen coniferous tree Fir 40-50 m high. In dense forests it can also be found up to 70 m high. The tree trunk, whose diameter is 1.5-2 m, is smooth, ash-gray in color. The crown is dense, cone-shaped; low branches.

The needles are shiny, dark green. The cones are located on the branches of the tree like on a candle tree. Ripened cones crumble into pieces, while seeds and scales fall to the ground. Only a thin, sticking up, sharp rod remains on the tree.

Fir grows relatively quickly and lives up to 600-700 years; occurs by seeds, the soil for cultivation should be loamy. This shade-tolerant plant, however, can grow in well-lit areas. Often, severe frosts and late spring frosts cause damage to it.

Nordmann fir has high quality wood, the stock of which is 800-900 m3 per 1 ha, and the maximum is up to 2200 m3 per 1 ha. In the Western Caucasus, at an altitude of 1200-2000 m, they form vast, mountain meadows, often consisting of pure stands or mixed with Eastern Spruce and Beech. It is recommended to plant it in woodland and forest-steppe.

White Fir (European Comb) grows in the mountains of Central, Southern, Western Europe, in the Carpathians, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

This is an evergreen coniferous, highly productive tree, the height of which is 40-65 m, the diameter of the trunk is up to 2 m.

Having a whitish underside of the needles is called white. The plant is characterized by low frost resistance, so its cultivation in more northern regions is impossible.

The undergrowth of this plant is readily eaten by deer and roe deer.

Fir Semenov distributed in Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia), in the mountains of Talas Alatau and Sotkal Range. Grows on shady slopes and in gorges, at an altitude of 1350 to 2800 m; as part of mixed forests with different broad-leaved species, often with walnut. This evergreen coniferous tree is of great water conservation importance.

This tall tree (over 30 m), with a low, columnar crown, is morphologically similar to Siberian Fir, but somewhat sharply different. The needles of the Semenov Fir are longer - up to 4 cm, thick - up to 2 cm. Seed scales differ in width in a larger direction, with more gently rounded edges; also applies to the covering scales.

As for landscaping, the Semenov Fir is valued for its decorative effect, therefore it is used in the practice of landscape design and landscaping of landscape gardening areas in the Caucasus, in the Crimea and South-West Ukraine, Belarus.

Fir the largest, frost-resistant Fir of the Far East. It grows well both in dark coniferous and deciduous forests of this region. It forms both pure plantations and is a part of black-fir-broad-leaved forests. In the mountains, at an altitude of up to 500 m above sea level.

This plant is fast growing and can reach a height of up to 30 m at the age of 100 years. But at the same time, expect slow growth in the first 6, and maybe 10 years. In general, Whole-leaved Fir, according to various sources, reaches a height of 45 or 55 m, the trunk is 2 m in diameter. This coniferous tree is the largest in the Far East.

The tree has a thick, wide bark, grayish-brown in young trees, dark brown in old ones. In young trees, the bark is slightly flaky, in old trees it is deeply cracked in the longitudinal direction, and in overmature trees it is also in the transverse direction.

The needles of the whole-leaved Fir are light green on top, generally single and flat, the length of which is 2.5-4.5 cm, the width is 2-3 mm. Cones diameter - 3-4 cm, height - 6-14 cm; seed germination is about 40%, weight - 49.3 g / 1000 pieces.

White Fir distributed in the Far Eastern taiga, in mountain forests. But since its wood is quite often affected by rot, it is little exploited. Its peculiarity is that the needle ends of the branches are rich in the content of a special essential oil from which camphor is extracted.

The bark of the White Fir contains many resinous receptacles filled with a special natural balm, consisting of resin (70%) and essential oil (30%). It is used for bonding lenses in optics.

The variety, as such, differs little from the Siberian Fir, having a similar crown shape and size. Quite a decorative and fragrant breed, which is practically unable to overcome pests due to its ethereal-resinous secretions.

Fir Kamchatka (or Thin, Graceful, Graceful) grows on the banks of the Kamchatka River. It is an evergreen coniferous tree that forms unique ornamental plantings mixed with Birch, Doura Larch and Ayan Spruce.

The tree reaches a height of 15 m, the shape of its crown is oval-pyramidal, dense; smooth, gray bark. The length of the needles is 10-30 mm, the width is 1-1.5 mm, with a flat arrangement. It also differs in the small size of cones (2.5-5 cm), almost cylindrical in shape. Covering scales have a sharp end, shorter in length than seed scales (which are with dense, red pubescence).

Fir Sakhalin grows on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, often together with Ayan Spruce. The height of the tree trunk is up to 30 m, the diameter is about 1 m. The crown is sharp, dense, pyramidal in shape, with branches slightly curved upwards.

The bark of the tree, like the White Fir, is smooth, dark gray in color, darkens with age with the formation of numerous resin reservoirs (“nodules”) filled with fir balsam.

The needles are dark green in color, 2-4 cm long, 2 mm wide, soft, dark green in color, with white or bluish stomatal stripes on the reverse side of the needles, rounded at the top.

Cones are 5-8 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, vertical, cylindrical in shape with a rounded or obtuse apex and rounded at the base; brown or bluish black. When the cones ripen, they crumble, and only rods remain from them, which remain on the branch for another 1-2 years.

Myra fir grows in South Sakhalin and the islands of Japan, in the southwestern part of Hokkaido. Similar to Sakhalin, so fir tree photo, see above; height - up to 35 m, has a feature in the form of an oval blunt crown, smooth until old age of the bark. The needles of Myra Fir are shorter and narrower, on cone-bearing shoots it has a rounded / notched tip with catchy looking scales bent back.

In the practice of landscaping household plots, landscape design is practically not used, mainly for dendrological gardens. This is due to the fact that Myra Fir does not have any outstanding decorative qualities, compared to the same Sakhalin Fir.

North American Fir species

In the arboretums and botanical gardens of the Black Sea coast of Russia, the Caucasus and in the Crimea, Fir species and varieties of which belong to the North American and Mediterranean species grow. These include:

• Fir Single Color;
• Noble fir;
• Fir Great;
• Fir Magnificent;
• Fir Balsam (Canadian).

Fir Single Color grows in the mountains of Western North America, as well as along river valleys and shady slopes. The height of the tree is 25-60 m, the diameter of the trunk is 40-180 cm. The crown is cone-shaped, dense in youth, low-pubescent.

The needles are bluish in color, lush, later - loose. There are garden forms of Single Color Fir with bluish-white or golden needles.

These are light-loving, winter-smoke-resistant plants. Nutritious moist soils are required for cultivation. The plant suffers from dry air. Lives up to 350 years. It is recommended to plant Fir of the same color in the Northern and Western regions of Ukraine.

Noble fir extends north from the Cascade Mountains (North America), replacing the Magnificent Fir, which grows to the Cascade Mountains. The height of the tree is 30-60 m and 50-100 cm in diameter, which has a cone-shaped, low-drooping crown, which becomes domed, highly raised when aging.

The bark of the trunk and branches of Fir is a noble gray color, darkening in old age and slightly fissured, thin, rusty-brown in places of young shoots. The needles are bluish-green in color, 25-35 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide. The top of the needles is sharp or blunt, the location is comb-like or flat; with stomata on both sides. Lives 700 years or more.

Fir cones Noble cylindrical shape, 10-20 cm long and 3-6 wide. They have covering scales bent to the bottom, which are much longer than the seed ones. Seeds are dull brown, 10-12 mm long; germination percentage - 40-50%; concentration in 1 kg - 35-43,000 pieces.

Fir Great grows in Canada, as well as in such US states as Idaho, California, Montana, Washington, Oregon. It occurs along river valleys, slopes, at an altitude of 2100 m above sea level. It grows in a humid climate near the sea, and also tolerates other (continental) conditions. It grows in mixed forests, with deciduous and other conifers. In Europe, it began to spread from 1831, where its main use was decorative, in the arrangement of landscape design, landscape gardening.

The Great Fir tree reaches a height of 35-50 m, the diameter of its trunk is 60-120 cm. The bark of the trunk of old trees is dark brown, with longitudinal cracking; in young ones it is olive-green in color, with a slight pubescence. The crown of the Great Fir is cone-shaped (in youth), domed (in maturity).

The needles of the Great Fir are dark green in color, shiny on the upper side, with white stripes on the bottom, 20-35 mm long and 2-2.5 mm wide. Cones are oval-cylindrical in shape, reach 5-11 cm in length, 2-4 cm in diameter. The number of seeds per 1 kg is 45-80 thousand. Fruiting is plentiful, in the 20th year of life. Abundant yield occurs with a period of 2-3 years. The plant itself lives 200-250 years.

Fir Magnificent grows in the western regions of the USA, at an altitude of 1400-2700 meters above sea level, in the states of California, Oregon, Nevada; forms mixed forests with other conifers. There is a similarity with the Noble Fir, but the difference is the structure of the leaves, since they have a longitudinal groove in the upper part of the Noble Fir, which is not observed in the leaves of the Magnificent Fir. The pole of the Magnificent Fir leaves are not so dense.

The height of the tree reaches 57 m, and the trunk is up to 250 cm thick. The bark of the tree is thin, grayish in color, which thickens with age, accompanied by the appearance of deep cracks and thick growths. The crown is narrow and cone-shaped, the branches in its upper part are directed upwards, in the lower - downwards. The arrangement of branches is whorled or opposite; color - yellowish brown or light yellow, with red pubescence during the first couple of years.

The needles (leaves) are 2-3.7 cm long, 2 mm thick, mostly single-row, flexible, with a camphor smell. In the middle they are pressed to the branch by 2-3 mm, they depart at the ends. Flat or trapezoid (on fruitful branches), grayish-green stripes are visible in the lower part, each of which has 4-5 stomatal lines. The upper part of the leaf is blue-green, with a palette to silver-blue, with one grayish-green stripe, sometimes diluted closer to the top. Inclusions of stomatal bands are also present in the line, in the amount of 8-13 pieces.

Magnificent Fir (male) cones are purple or red-brown when pollinated. Female - ovoid-cylindrical, 15-20 cm long, 7-10 cm thick. First purple, then yellowish / greenish-brown. The scales of the cones are 3x4 cm in size, the bracts are pressed or protrude. Seeds 15 cm long, 6 mm wide, dark reddish brown.

Fir Balsam or Canadian in Canada, it is the most important forest-forming species and a source of Canadian balsam. In addition, having unusually beautiful, decorative forms, it is used in landscaping. Balsam fir has a height of 15-25 m, the crown of its regular shape is cone-shaped, pubescent and reaches the ground. The trunk and mature branches have a gray-brown smooth bark.

The needles of the Canadian Fir are 1.5-2.5 cm long, blunt or slightly notched at the end, have a dark green shiny color in the top, with whitish stripes below. Arrangement on the branches - comb. The cones are oval-cylindrical, 5-10 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter. The color of the cone at the beginning of its formation is dark purple. Canadian Fir or Balsam Fir lives 150-200 years.

In culture, this variety of Fir has a relative frost resistance, and is also a fairly gas-resistant vegetation. It grows quite well on moist alluvial and loamy soils, but rather poorly on podzolic and sandy soils. It is advisable to plant in tapeworms and in small groups.

Mediterranean Fir species

Some varieties of Fir (Mediterranean) have been adapted and able to grow both in arid and rather frosty regions of the Eurasian space. Of these, particular attention is paid to:

• Algerian fir (Numedi);
• Fir Cilician.

Fir Algerian (Numidian) - a coniferous tree growing in Algeria, on an area of ​​​​several km2, as well as in Kabali along the northern slope of the peaks of Babor and Tababor, at altitudes of 1800-2000 m. The soil in these regions is very stony, calcareous, while the Algerian Fir lives and develops beautifully in such soils.

Coniferous foliage 15 mm long, on more healthy shoots up to 25 mm; width - 2.5 mm. Dark green in color, the needles are flat, twisted at the base, rounded or slightly pitted at the top. Young plants have pointed needles, dark green in color, with two white stripes below.

Numidian fir cones are elongated-cylindrical, blunt, reach 15-20 cm in length, 4-6 cm in width, gray-brown in color. Seed scales on top are wide, with ears, deeply pitted towards the base.

In culture, it is bred in the southern regions of Crimea, as well as in the South-West of Ukraine, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus (Sochi, Adler, Sukhumi). Cultivated Algerian Fir (Numidian) proved to be quite hardy. A 50-year-old tree reaches a height of 15 m.

Fir Cilicia , drought-resistant originates from the mountainous regions of Lebanon, Turkey, Syria. It is part of mixed forests, and can also form pure stands at an altitude of 1300-2000 m. This Fir is a slow-growing coniferous tree that prefers abundant lighting, or penumbra areas with well-drained soils.

The crown of the Fir of the Cilician pyramidal shape is narrow, the branches ascend upward from the ground itself, the height is up to 25-35 m, the diameter of the trunk is up to 2.1 m. The bark of the tree is smooth, ash-gray in color, over time, aging, becomes covered with cracks. The needles are dark green above, with several (2-3) rows of stomata, light green below, stomata arranged in 6-7 rows. Length - 20-40 mm, width - 1.5-3 mm.