Abies firma

Form: Columnar, Upright or erect.

Abies firma is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is monoecious and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade semi-shade or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Landscape Uses:Christmas tree, Pest tolerant, Screen, Specimen. Prefers a good moist but not water-logged soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are very shade tolerant, especially when young, but growth is slower in dense shade. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution. Prefers slightly acid conditions, down to a pH of about 5. Prefers growing on a north-facing slope. New growth of the side shoots starts in April and this is very susceptible to damage by late frosts. The terminal buds do not open until mid-May and usually escape damage. Trees are fairly fast growing when young, sending up new growth of 60cm a year from the age of about 6 years. Side shoots grow with equal vigour, however and the tree often loses apical dominance. Trees grow best in the Perthshire valleys of Scotland. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm in height. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance. The flowers are produced in axils of the previous year's shoots. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. Special Features:Not North American native, There are no flowers or blooms.