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grand fir (Abies grandis)
(click on each photo to enlarge image)
- Needles: About 1" long; yellow-green on top
surface of needles (no white bloom on upper surface)--whitish bands
on undersides. Sets of
needles flattened or "V" shaped. Needles are two distinct sizes, with alternating long
and short needles.
- Fruit: Upright, cylindrical cones; 3-4" long;
bracts shorter than scales. Fall apart when mature.
- Twigs: Terminal buds round and clustered, and covered with resin. Young
twigs are greenish.
- Distribution: Extends across the Pacific Northwest from sea level to
5100 ft. (1600 m).
Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
(click on each photo to enlarge image)
- Needles: Green on top and white underneath;
about 1" long. Top needles point forward like ski jumpers;
side needles are nearly perpendicular to the twig.
- Fruit: Large woody cones (3-6" long); cylindrical
in shape; purple in color. Fall apart when mature.
- Twigs: Buds clustered at tip of branch are usually round, purple in color,
and covered with pitch.
- Bark: Remains gray throughout its life. Resin blisters when young; scaly
when older.
- Distribution: Grows from 1100-6600 ft (350-2000 m) elevation in the Pacific
Northwest on southern and western exposures.
noble fir (Abies procera)
(click on each photo to enlarge image)
- Needles: White on both top and bottom surfaces;
about 1" long;
shaped like a hockey stick. Massed on the upper surface of the twig.
A tiny groove runs the length
of the upper side.
- Fruit: Large woody cones (4-6" long); cylindrical
in shape; have distinctive bracts that look like elephant heads. Fall
apart when mature.
- Twigs: Reddish-brown. Buds clustered at the terminal end are usually round,
and are over-lapped by curved needles.
- Distribution: Occurs along the Pacific coast in Washington, Oregon, and
northern California. Commonly found at 3200-5600 ft. (1000-1700 m) elevation
on the west side of the Cascade Mountains.
California red fir (Abies magnifica)
(click on each photo to enlarge image)
- Needles: White on both top and bottom surfaces;
about 1" long;
shaped like a hockey stick. Massed on the upper surface of the
twig. A tiny ridge runs the
length of the upper side (compare with groove on noble fir).
- Fruit: Large woody cones (6-9" long); cylindrical
in shape; bracts are shorter than scales (therefore not visible).
Fall apart when mature.
- Twigs: Reddish-brown. Buds clustered at the terminal end are usually
round and not covered by resin.
- Distribution: Occurs in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon, the
coastal ranges of northern California, and the high mountain slopes of the
Sierra Nevada. Generally found at 5100-9000 ft. (1600-2850 m) elevation.
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
(click on each photo to enlarge image)
- Needles: White lines both above and below the
needle; about 1" long. Massed
on the upper surface of the twig; very neat in appearance.
- Fruit: Cylindrical woody cones about 2-4" long;
purple. Fall apart when mature.
- Twigs: Terminal buds are small, round, and clustered; covered with resin.
- Distribution: Generally occurs at timberline in cold, humid climates in
the Olympic, Cascade, and Rocky Mountains.
white fir (Abies concolor)
(click on each photo to enlarge image)
- Needles: White bloom on upper and lower surfaces;
may be in distinct lines, or uniformly distributed over the entire
surface. May just occur on tips of
needles. Needles 1-2" long.
- Fruit: Upright, cylindrical woody cones; 3-5" long;
bracts shorter than scales. Fall apart when mature.
- Twigs: Terminal buds are round, clustered, and slightly pitchy. Young twigs
are greenish.
- Distribution: Grows at high elevations in the mountains from southern Oregon
to southern California and in the Rocky Mountains; normally found at 3200-8200
ft. (1000-2500 m).
For more information about these
species, see " Trees
to Know in Oregon".
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