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GRAND FIR
Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D.
Don) Lindl.
Plant Symbol = ABGR
Contributed By: USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data
Center & Biota of North America Program
Alternate common names
Lowland white fir, balsam fir, western balsam fir,
yellow fir, California great fir, Oregon white fir,
Puget Sound fir, giant fir, grand fir, silver fir, tall
silver fir, great silver fir, stinking fir
Uses
The soft wood of grand fir is a valued source of
pulpwood and is harvested as timber even though it is
weaker and more prone to decay than many other
species. It is also used as plywood and has been used
for various kinds of rough construction, such as
framing, sheathing, subflooring, planking, beams,
posts, siding, paneling, millwork, prefabricated
buildings and structural members, furniture parts, and
boxes and crates.
The thick-foliage, symmetry, deep green shiny color,
and strong, orangish fragrance make grand fir one of
the preferred species of Christmas trees grown in the
Northwest. Most seedlings produced for Christmas
tree growers originate from the "Panhandle" area of
Idaho. In most areas, it will produce a marketable
tree in 8-10 years. Grand fir also is valued in
plantings in recreation areas and urban sites. It grows
quickly in the moister parts of Britain and is
cultivated for timber in western and northern Europe.
Brother Alfred Brousseau
© 1995 Saint Mary's College
@ CalPhotos
The aromatic properties of grand fir were important
in many of its uses by American Indians. The
needles were boiled to make a medicinal tea for
colds. Boughs were brought inside as an air
freshener and burned as incense and to make a
purifying smoke to ward off illnesses. Dried, crushed
needles have been used as baby powder. The pitch of
young trees was mixed with oil to be used as a
deodorant and rubbed on the scalp to prevent balding.
The famous Barlow Road snub-trees on the south
side of Mount Hood in Oregon were grand firs. They
were used by early settlers to control the rate of
descent of their covered wagons on a particularly
steep slope in their trek from east to west. Some of
the rope-burned trees are still standing after 150
years.
The majority of pileated woodpecker roost trees in
northeastern Oregon were grand fir, both live and
dead, where a hollow chamber had been created by
decay from Indian paint fungus. The majority of
roosts occurred in old-growth stands of grand fir.
Status
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State
Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s
current status, such as, state status and wetland
indicator values.
Description
General: Pine Family (Pinaceae). Native evergreen
trees growing to 75-100 meters tall, the crown conic,
becoming round or straggly with age, branches
dropping, twigs mostly opposite. Bark: smooth, gray,
becoming brown and furrowed with age. Needles are
2-6 cm long, flattened, strongly waxy and silvery-
white on the lower surface, green above, mostly 2-
ranked, spreading horizontally, not concealing the
upper surface of twigs, the needles 1-ranked and
spiraled higher on the tree; resin canals marginal,
located near the lower epidermis; stomatal rows
absent on the upper surface at midleaf, 5-7 stomatal
rows on each side of midrib of lower surface. Seed
cones: 6-12 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, dark purple or
blue to gray or light green at maturity, erect and on
the upper branches. Native. The common name
refers to the large size of mature trees, one of the
tallest of the firs.
Variation within the species: Although Abies grandis
is fairly uniform throughout its range, a green coastal
form and gray interior form are often recognized, and
five fairly distinct climatic forms of grand fir have
been identified, differing mainly in physiological and
ecological traits. Abies grandis var. idahoensis Silba
was recently described (Silba 1990) as “an inland
variety, to 1850 m altitude” from southeast British
Columbia to central Idaho, characterized by smaller
cones, a distinct forward and vertical spread of the
leaves, and more twisted petioles. In southern
Oregon and northern California, grand fir hybridizes
and introgresses with A. concolor, which generally
grows in higher, drier habitats. Natural hybrids also
are known between grand fir and subalpine fir.
Abies grandis is distinguished from the closely
similar A. amabilis by bud scales slightly pubescent
or glabrous (vs densely pubescent), upper surface of
twigs easily visible (vs concealed by the needles),
and variably colored mature seed cones (vs purple).
Compared to subalpine fir, grand fir occurs at lower
elevations, has a wider crown, and usually produces
broad spreading lower limbs with beautifully even
secondary branchlets.
Distribution: Coastal British Columbia, south along
the coast to Sonoma County, California. A disjunct
population system in the Northern Rocky Mountains
occurs from southern British Columbia and Alberta
to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana.
For current distribution, please consult the Plant
Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web
site.
Adaptation
Common in moist forests in stream bottoms, valleys,
and Lower Mountain slopes, preferably on N-facing
slopes, on a variety of soil types, 0-1500 meters.
Grand fir sometimes grows in pure stands but is
much more common in mixed coniferous and
hardwood forests. It is very shade tolerant, especially
when young, although growth is slower in dense
shade. It is a dominant climax species in some
habitat types and a long-lived seral species in other
types.
Establishment
Seed production in grand fir is relatively low. A
good cone crop is considered to be more than 40
cones per tree – the interval between good seed crops
is about 2-3 years. Seed production begins at about
20 years of age. Germination is best on mineral soil
but in open sites the seeds germinate nearly as well
on duff as on any other surface. Primary causes of
germination failure are insect infestation and the
perishable nature of the seeds. Grand fir seedlings
are relatively resistant to drought on areas exposed to
full sun because deep initial root penetration protects
them from drying of the surface soil. On heavily
shaded, cool areas, surface dryness from drought is
the most important physical cause of seedling
mortality because initial root penetration is slow.
Initial survival and growth of grand fir are favored by
moderate shade, where growth may be aggressive
enough to form a dominant part of the forest. After
20-30 years, it makes most rapid growth in the open.
Trees 250 years old are common and occasional trees
may be more than 300 years old.
Management
Susceptibility to heart rot and decay is one of the
more important factors in management of grand fir.
Centers of decay are closely related to logging scars,
frost cracks, broken tops, and other mechanical
injuries. Grand fir is thin-barked and sensitive to fire
– ground fires in moist creek bottoms are highly
damaging but trees on dry hillsides are more
resistant, largely because of a deeper root system and
thicker bark. Control of fires in the drier southern
parts of the Northwest has allowed an increase in
range of grand fir over the last 50 years.
Well-stored seed can retain viability for up to 5 years,
but germination is often poor, usually taking about 6-
8 weeks. If seed are sown in a cold frame
immediately after autumn ripening, stratification is
said to produce a more even germination. Seedlings
are usually transplanted in a nursery for 1-2 years.
Young trees should be planted into their permanent
positions when they are well under one meter tall.
Cultivars, Improved and Selected Plant Materials
(and area of origin)
This tree should be available through your local
nursery.
References
Bull, E.L., R.S. Holthausen, & M.G. Henjum 1992.
Roost trees used by pileated woodpeckers in
northeastern Oregon. J. Wildlife Management
56:786-793.
Foiles, M.W., R.T. Graham, & D.F. Olson, Jr. 1990.
Abies grandis. Pp. 52-59, IN: R.M. Burns and B.H.
Honkala. Silvics of North America. Volume 1.
Conifers. USDA, Forest Service Agric. Handbook
654, Washington, D.C.
of_contents.htm>
Hunt, R.S. 1993. Abies. Pp. 354-362, IN:Flora of
North America, North of Mexico. Vol. 2,
Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ.
Press, New York.
bin/Flora/flora.pl?FLORA_ID=12395>
Silba, J. 1990. A supplement to the international
census of the Coniferae, II. Phytologia 68:7-78.
Van Pelt, R. 1996. Champion trees of Washington
State. University of Washington Press, Seattle,
Washington.
Xie, C.-Y. & C.C. Ying 1993. Geographic variation
of grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl.) Lindl.) in the
Pacific Coast region - 10 year results from a
provenance trail. Canad. J. For. Res. 23:1065-1072.
Prepared By
Guy Nesom
BONAP, North Carolina Botanical Garden,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North
Carolina
Species Coordinator
Lincoln Moore
USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana
Edited: 13nov00 jsp; 25feb03 ahvv; 24may06jsp
For more information about this and other plants, please contact
your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the
PLANTS Web site or the Plant Materials
Program Web site
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Contributed By: USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center & Biota of North America Program