Fir(Abies) is a genus of conifers with over 50 species. Easy to grow and frost-resistant fir trees thrive in cooler climates and moist soils. The variety of species and varieties makes these evergreen trees very popular.Dwarf and miniature fir varietieslook great in small gardens, rockeries, and even in pots. We presentfir species and varietiesrecommended for gardens.
Korean fir - Abies koreana
Fig. pixabay.com
Silver fir
Common fir (Abies alba), also called white fir, is an evergreen coniferous tree with a conical or columnar crown, growing up to 20-50 m in height. It is long-lived and can live up to 400 years. The needles, 1.5 to 3.0 cm long, are blunt tipped, green on the upper side and silvery with two white stripes on the underside. Fir blooms in spring. The cylindrical, erect, green cones turn brown as they mature.
Silver fir grows well in shady and humid places.It does not tolerate drought and environmental pollution. The soil for fir should be moist and fresh with a slightly acidic reaction. Silver fir is quite sensitive to low temperatures (it belongs to the plant frost resistance zone 5B) and in regions with harsher winters, young trees may freeze.
Silver fir - Abies alba
Fig. Daderot, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
The most common varieties of fir in gardens arecommonwith limited growth strength:
Silver fir 'Brinar'- is a frost-resistant variety reaching 2-3 m in height. It has a nice, dark green conical crown. It looks good on flower beds, in rock and heather gardens.
Silver fir 'Compacta'- has a compact, conical crown and grows up to 2-4 m in height. It grows well in the shade, but needs a lot of sun to form a nice crown. It works best in regions with milder and humid climates.
Silver fir 'Franta'- this is a miniature variety that is only 0.5 m high after 10 years. It branches heavily, creating a compact, dense crown. Young, light green shoots contrast nicely with the dark green of older needles. The variety grows well both in the shade and in the sun and is fully frost-resistant.
Silver fir 'Ibergeregg'- is a dwarf variety growing up to 1.5 m in height, with an irregular, wide habit. Ruffled needles and small size make it look great in rocky and heather gardens.
Silver fir 'Pendula'- it is not tall, grows up to 2 m and stands out due to its picturesque habit. The columnar shape blends beautifully with the hanging side shoots.
Silver fir 'Pyramidalis'- this is a slow growing variety with a narrow columnar habit. After many years, it can reach a height of 10 m. It is sensitive to frost, dry winds and water shortages.
Caucasian fir
Caucasian fir (Abies nordmanniana) occurs naturally in northwestern Turkey and in the mountains of the Caucasus. It grows quite quickly, growing up to 10 m in height in our climate. It is characterized by a shaped crown, initially pyramidal, conical with age. The horizontally arranged branches extend all the way to the ground. Long, dark green needles on the underside have two white stripes.
Caucasian Fir - Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader'
Fig. pixabay.com
Caucasian fir, like other species of fir , prefers fresh and moist soils and positions sheltered from the wind. It grows best in the vicinity of water reservoirs, requires high air humidity. It is not fully frost resistant - frost resistance zone 6B. It does not tolerate polluted air. In Poland, it is one of the most popular conifers grown in gardens and as Christmas trees.
Caucasian fir varieties recommended for gardens :
Caucasian Fir 'Aurea'- a slow growing variety with a conical shape, growing up to 7-8 m in height. A characteristic feature is the golden yellow color of young needles, which darkens with time. The variety requires a sunny position and fertile, fairly moist soil.
Caucasian Fir 'Barabits Compact'- has a spherical shape and grows up to 0.5 m in height after 10 years. Young growths have an intense light green color. It retains its compact habit and attractive appearance only in sunny places.Sensitive to frost (frost resistance zone 6B).
Caucasian Fir 'Golden Spreader'- is a dwarf variety reaching 1 m in height after 10 years. It is characterized by a compact crown with a characteristic depression at the top. Shiny golden needles, the underside is almost white. Plant hardiness zone 7A.
Caucasian fir 'Munsterland- is a variety with a wide habit, reaching up to 0.5 m in height. Does not produce a conductor, the crown folds to a dense green carpet.
Caucasian fir 'Pendula'- grows up to 4-5 m in height, and its side shoots hang down along the trunk. It looks great as a solitaire. Quite sensitive to frost, classified in the frost resistance zone 7A.
Caucasian Fir 'Robusta'- is a fast-growing variety growing up to 10 m high and 1 m wide. The slender, irregular crown looks like it is covered with snow. This is due to thick, stiff needles, twisted with the white underside to the top.
Mountain fir
Mountain Fir(Abies lasiocarpa) occurs naturally in the mountainous regions of North America. It reaches 20 m in height and its long needles have an interesting gray or blue shade of green. Mountain fir gives birth to cones only when it exceeds the age of 50. It grows well in sunny or slightly shaded places, in a fertile and moist soil. It is a species that is almost completely frost-resistant (hardiness zones 4-5), but in our conditions, spring frosts can damage young shoots.
Mountain fir - Abies lasiocarpa
Fig. depositphotos.com
Mountain fir varieties recommended for gardens:
Mountain Fir 'Argentea'- slowly grows to reach 15 m in height after many years. Beautiful, regular and conical crown and exceptionally long, silvery needles are the great advantages of this variety. It grows well in fertile, fairly moist soils, in sun and partial shade.It looks beautiful as a solitaire. It is sufficiently frost-resistant (plant frost-resistant zone 5A) and can withstand even prolonged droughts.
Mountain fir 'Compacta'- grows slowly, reaching a height of 1 m after 10 years of cultivation. The regular, conical crown and silver needles are an interesting decoration of even small gardens. The variety requires light, fairly acid soil and a sunny and slightly shaded position. Frost resistance zone 5A.
Mountain fir 'Glauca'- ultimately grows up to 20 m high, but grows slowly and after 10 years reaches 1.5 m. Regular and dense crown turns silver-blue. The variety looks best when planted as a solitaire. It works best on moist soil with a neutral or alkaline pH.
Mountain fir 'Green Globe'- is a dwarf variety growing up to 1.5 times in height, with a spherical shape. The blue-green needles are long and cover the shoots densely. It grows best in permeable and slightly moist soils and in a place slightly sheltered from the sun.
California Fir
Californian fir (Abies concolor), also called single-colored fir, occurs in its natural state mainly in mountainous regions of North America. It is a large tree with a conical, regular crown. Old specimens tend to lose the lowest branches. This species is popular for its long, soft, blue-green, pale needles that smell beautiful.
Californian fir is easy to grow , it tolerates periodic droughts, polluted air and frosts (plant hardiness zone 4). Moist, fertile, permeable soils with a reaction close to neutral and sunny positions are the key to success in the cultivation of this species of fir. In such conditions, the tree has a beautiful habit and color, and does not lose its lowest branches.
California Fir - Abies concolor
Fig. depositphotos.com
Recommended varieties of Californian fir:
Californian fir 'Archer's Dwarf'- is a dwarf variety that grows up to 1 m in height after 10 years. It grows well both in the sun and in partial shade, resistant to air pollution and spring frosts.
Californian fir 'Argentea'- grows up to 10-12 m high and forms a regular, conical crown. It is beautifully dyed, long needles are silver-blue in color. It is very resistant to frost, drought and air pollution.
Californian fir 'Compacta'- its regular and conical crown and rather short blue-gray needles make a good duo. It grows up to 3-4 m in height. Plant frost resistance zone 5A.
California Fir 'Compacta'
Fig. Agnieszka Kwiecień, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Californian fir 'Fastigiata'- forms a slender, narrow crown and its densely arranged shoots are covered with long, gray-green needles.This variety has low soil requirements and will even grow in sandy soils. It is frost-resistant (plant frost resistance zone 5A) and perfectly tolerates polluted air.
Californian fir 'Globe'- is a dwarf variety whose spherical crown reaches up to 1 m in diameter. It has low soil requirements and high frost resistance, it can be planted all over Poland. It looks good in flower beds, rockeries, moors and in containers.
California Fir 'Wintergold'- grows up to 5 -10 m in height. Gray-green needles brighten to golden yellow in summer in winter. It requires a sunny position, and the soil is poorer and not too wet. It grows well in open spaces, it tolerates strong winds.
Korean fir
Korean fir (Abies koreana) This comes from the mountainous regions of South Korea and is characterized by a slender, conical-shaped crown. It grows up to 3-4 m in height. The short needles are quite stiff, dark green on the top and white on the underside.Extremely decorative are cylindrical, protruding violet-blue cones.Korean fir requires sun or partial shade and rich, sandy loam soil. It is a plant sensitive to drought, air pollution and frosty, dry winds. It is frost-resistant enough (plant frost resistance zone 5B), but young growths may be damaged by frosts in spring.
Korean fir 'Kohout's Icebreaker'
Korean fir varieties recommended for gardens:
Korean fir 'Aurea'- has a spherical, flattened habit and grows up to 1 m in height. Green-yellow needles are exceptionally decorative. It badly tolerates both drought and excessive humidity.
Korean fir 'Brilliant'- is a miniature variety with a low, irregular, dense habit. Reaches 0.5 m in height and 0.8 m in width after 10 years. Requires fertile, moist soil and a bright position. It is characterized by high frost resistance.
Korean fir 'Cis'- has a fluffy, spherical shape, is miniature and grows slowly. The short, delicate needles are bright green. The variety is undemanding and completely frost-resistant.
Korean fir 'Green Carpet'- a variety with a wide, wide habit, growing up to 1 m in height. Intensive green needles with white stripes on the underside. It is completely frost-resistant and grows well in moderately rich, slightly moist soils. Likes sunny and secluded places.
Korean fir 'Kohout's Icebreaker'- reaches 0.2-0.3 m in height and a similar diameter. Thick needles are twisted around the shoots so that their white underside is visible. Frost-resistant variety. Often carried out in the form of a small tree with a spherical crown.
Korean fir 'Kórnik'- is a Polish dwarf variety adapted to withstand Polish winters. Cope well with polluted air.
Korean fir 'Luminetta'- grows up to 2 m high, and its crown is compact and dense. Young growths have an intense golden color. The variety is completely frost-resistant, prefers fertile, fairly moist and acidic soils.
Korean fir 'Silberlocke'- slow growing variety, reaching 1.5-2 m in height. It has a fairly wide crown and the needles are bent in such a way that their light underside is visible. This variety requires a sunny position and fertile, moist soil. It is frost-resistant - plant frost resistance zone 5B.
Korean fir 'Silver Show'- reaches 5 m in height and has a conical, regular crown. Like the 'Silberlocke' variety, it has bent needles whose underside is white.
Korean fir 'Silberlocke'
Fig. depositphotos.com
Balsam Fir
The balsam fir (Abies balsamea) comes from the northern regions of North America and has a slender, soaring crown. It grows up to 25 heights. The needles are dark green on the top and gray on the underside. Cones covered with resin, purple-violet. The species is frost-resistant in our conditions (plant frost resistance zone 6A), requires moist, heavier soils and a sunny or semi-shaded position.It does not tolerate drought, winds, air pollution and soil salinity.
Balsam Fir - Abies balsamea
Fig. depositphotos.com
Balsam Fir 'Nana'- slowly grows to reach 0.4 m in 10 years. It has a dense, spherical shape and dark green needles. It grows well in partial shade, also tolerates completely shaded places. It is fully frost-resistant.
Balsam fir 'Piccolo'- this is another miniature variety of balsam fir, which grows up to 0.4-0.5 m in height after 10 years. It has a spherical, quite irregular shape. It grows well in sun or partial shade, it is frost-resistant. Recommended for growing in containers.
Spanish fir
Spanish fir(Abies pinsapo) comes from Spain and Morocco. It grows up to 12-15 m in height, forming a narrow, conical, irregular crown. Horizontal branches overgrow the trunk right from the ground.Rigid, curved, dark green needles grow radially at right angles to the twigs. The cylindrical, protruding purple cones turn brown with time. It is a species of fir that likes shady positions with permeable, even poorly fertile soil. Resistant to heat, but moderately frost-resistant.
Recommended varieties of Spanish fir:
Spanish Fir 'Aurea'- slowly grows, reaching 1.5 - 2 m in 10 years. It has a conical crown and golden young growths. In a sunny place, the needles will have an attractive golden color all year round. Prefers slightly moist soils. Frost resistance zone 6A.
Spanish Fir 'Fastigiata'- has a columnar habit and stiff, bluish needles. It grows quite quickly reaching 1.5 m in height after 10 years. Not very demanding, it can freeze in harsh, snowless winters.
Spanish fir 'Glauca'- grows up to 5 - 6 m in height. The crown is quite irregular and the needles are silver-blue in color. It grows best in a quiet place, in fertile and moist soil.
Spanish fir 'Glauca'Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Spanish Fir 'Horstmann'- uncut can grow up to 2-3 m in height, while regularly pruned it can grow in the form of an irregular ball. It has nice, blue-gray needles. It grows well in moderately rich, moist soils in sunny and sheltered places.
Spanish Fir 'Kelleris'- grows strongly, reaching 5-10 m in height. It creates a conical crown with a gray-blue color. It prefers fertile, moist soils and a sunny to semi-shaded position. It is one of the most frost-resistant varieties of this species.
Veitch Fir
Fir Veitcha(Abies veitchii) comes from Japan. The trees have a narrow, conical, regular shape and dark green needles. The cylindrical cones are purple-brown in color. Veitch Fir grows well in a sunny and semi-shaded location and in fertile and fresh soil.It is sensitive to drought and air pollution. It is completely frost resistant - frost resistance zone 4-5.
Veitch's Fir 'Heddergott'
Fig. Daderot, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Recommended varieties of Veitch fir:
Veitch's Fir 'Glauca'- slowly growing, reaching 3-4 m in height. It has a beautiful, silver-blue shade of needles. It grows best in the sun, but it will also do well in a slightly shaded position.
Fir Veitcha 'Pendula'- distinguished by hanging shoots and light green, young growths. Requires rich soil and a sunny position. It looks best when planted as a solitaire.
Fir Veitcha 'Schneverdingen'- miniature variety with a compact, asymmetrical crown. The needles are light green on the upper side and white on the underside. The variety has no special requirements, grows well in fresh, fertile soil, in sun and shade.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
