|
Graver Home |
|
|
|
|
Common Name: Fraser Fir, Southern
Balsam Fir, or Southern Fir
Family: Pinaceae
Entry Author: C. Westring
Description: An evergreen with an open, symmetrical, pyramidal to spire-shaped crown
Needles: 1.2-2.5 cm X 1.5-2 mm; flexible, flattened; odor is turpentine-like; upper surface is a dark lustrous green, sometimes slightly glaucous
Cones: Cylindrical; 3.5-6 cm X 2.5-4 cm; immature cones are dark purple overlaid with yellowish green bracts turning tan to medium brown with age; sessile; apex rounded
Bark: Grayish green, thin and smooth, with age developing appressed reddish brown scales that later turn gray
Branching Pattern: Branches diverge from the trunk at right angles
Height: 25 meters tall
Conditions/Habitat/Kind of Forest: Prefers moist, well-drained loam; full sun is best
Range: Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States
Zone: 4
Conservation Status-US/ World Wide: Vulnerable
Uses (Human): .A favored Christmas tree
References:
Gymnosperm Database, University of Bonn
http://www.botanik.uni-bonn.de/conifers/pi/ab/fraseri.htm
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php?species=32101
UConn Plant Database
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/a/abifra/abifra1.html
Needles