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What type of fir #345870

Asked July 23, 2016, 3:24 PM EDT

What type of fir?

Spokane County Washington

Expert Response

Hello and thank you for your question.

You've sent in a great photo, but we need a little more information to help us narrow down what this tree is.  The first step is to confirm that it is a fir not a spruce. 

Spruce trees have needles that are usually stiff, pointed at the end, and square in cross-section.  If you roll a spruce needle between your fingers, you can feel the edges of the needle, whereas a fir needle is flat and won't roll easily.  Fir needles are also usually softer than spruce needles and with a more blunt tip. 

This tree looks like a fir, so let's assume that it is and move to the next question.  There are several fir cultivars that have blue needles, but they can be different species.  Your question didn't mention any unusual growth habit, such as a weeping tree, a rounded shrub, or a ground cover type plant.  If the fir is the typical pyramid shaped conifer, then that narrows it down to a few. 

There is a blue needled noble fir Abies procera 'Glauca' that is sold at some nurseries, but doesn't always do well in hot summer climates like ours. 
Corkbark fir, Abies lasiocarpa arizonica 'Glauca' is another blue needled fir.  This is a variety of our subalpine fir, and does somewhat better at our altitude than the noble fir.
There is also Horstmann's Silberlocke Korean fir Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke' which has curved needles that are blue on the underside.  I don't think that is what you have here, but want to include it, because it may be the best suited of the three for our environment. 

If you'd like to send us a photo of the whole tree, we might be able to narrow it down further, or better yet a photo of the tree and a sample!  You can contact us at <personal data hidden> or<personal data hidden>, for more information about bringing in a sample.

I hope this has helped, please let me know if you have any other questions. 







Thank you again for contacting us! Replied July 25, 2016, 8:03 PM EDT

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