Abies concolor — white fir
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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
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf form
-
- the leaves are needle-like
- the leaves are scale-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are flattened (can't be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
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
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ex Hildebr. E
white fir. MA, ME, VT. Forests and thickets, often in areas of human habitation, though sometimes seen in remote areas (e.g., coastal islands of ME).
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Abies homolepis:
- 2- to 3-year-old branches with a prominent groove (vs. A. concolor, with 2- to 3-year-old branches lacking a prominent groove).
- Abies balsamea:
- leaves 12-25 mm long and green, not or hardly glaucous, and seed cones 4-7 cm long (vs. A. concolor, with leaves mostly 40-60 mm long, prominently glaucous, and seed cones 7-12 cm long).