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• Abies concolor

Abies concolor — white fir

Facts

White fir is native to the mountains of the west, from Oregon and California south to New Mexico, and it is well-adapted for germination and survival in deep snow. This attractive tree is planted in New England and occasionally found growing wild. It's silvery-green needles, growing stoutly outward from the twigs, are distinctive.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests, shrublands or thickets

Characteristics

• Buds or leaf scars

  Winter bud shape

  • the winter buds are conical (cone-shaped)
  • the winter buds are globose (spherical, globe-shaped)

• Fruits or seeds

  Seed cone base

  NA

  Seed cone bracts

  the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales

  Seed cone form

  the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base

  Seed cone scales

  NA

  Seed cone shape

  the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)

  Seed cone symmetry

  the seed cone is symmetrical

  Seed cone umbo position

  there is no raised portion on the seed cone scale

  Seed cone umbo spine

  NA

  Seed wings

  the seeds have wing-like projections

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is a tree

• Leaves

  Leaf arrangement

  there is one needle-like leaf per node

  Leaf base

  the base of the needle-like leaf is expanded to a circular attachment point

  Leaf clustering

  the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node

  Leaf cross-section

  the needle-like leaves are flattened (can't be rolled between the fingers)

  Leaf duration

  the needle-like leaves remain green all winter

  Leaf form

  • the leaves are needle-like
  • the leaves are scale-like

  Leaf glands

  there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves

  Leaf stalks

  the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk

  Leaf types

  there is only one type of needle-like leaf on the twig

  Leaves overlapping

  the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • forests
  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • shrublands or thickets

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Bark resin blisters

  the bark has small resin blisters on it

  Leaves on shoots

  the needle-like leaves do not grow in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot

  Twig bloom

  there is no bloom on the twig

  Twig hair type

  • the twigs have few or no hairs on them
  • the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands

  Twig hairs

  • the twig does not have hairs
  • the twig is hairy

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae