Giant fir (Abies grandis LINDLEY)

Giant fir (Abies grandis LINDLEY)

Appearance: An evergreen coniferous tree with fairly regular, conical, and in older specimens a slightly wider crown.

Branches initially sticking out horizontally, dangling with age or with rising ends. The giant fir grows high in its homeland 100 m and is therefore one of the tallest conifers on Earth,

Pins length from 2 do 6 cm, thinner than other fir trees, two-sided unfolded in 2-3 ranks, on average- or dark green, aa folded at the edges. When rubbed, they give off a strong aromatic smell.

Female cones, located only in the apex zone, in relation to the tree height they are quite small (6-8 cm in length), in brown color.

Occurrence: The homeland of the giant fir is the original mountain forests in the western part of North America; it is especially widespread on Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Recently, this species has been planted in central and northern Europe in forest cultures. Specimens planted in Europe (more or less from 1830 year) do not exceed yet 50 m in height,

Flowering period: April to May.

Related species:

California yodel (Abies concohr), in appearance similar to a giant fir, it has a smoother bark and uniform pins of a uniform blue-gray-green color, sickle-shaped curved upwards, giving off an aromatic lemon scent when rubbed. Originally, it was found only in the southwestern part of North America, but nowadays it is planted quite often in parks and gardens.

Greek fir (Abies cephalomca), tree of height to 30 m, with gray-brown, with smooth bark and sharply cut at the top, quite stiff, with shiny pins on top, which are not double rowed, as in other species. It creates dense stands in the higher parts of the Greek mountains.

Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo) has pins quite short, stiff, with prickly ends.

It is a rare tree that grows in the limestone mountains of southern Spain in the lying areas 2000 m n.p.m.