| General Description | The tree has a great ornamental value from its color change from temperature reaching freezing and has horizontal branching with a pyramidal shape. |
| ID Characteristic | Butter-yellow needles from temperature changes during winter and during warm months a chartreuse-green. The branches come off horizontally. |
| Shape | Starts out as small a globe shape and grows into a broad pyramidal tree. |
| Landscape | Abies concolor is a great accent tree that needs lots of room. The yellow needles make it a great plant to accent your garden and will add some winter interest. The tree could also be used as a specimen planting because of its beautiful yellow colour. |
| Propagation | Viable seed can be stratified in a moist condition for 60 days. Woody cuttings can also be taken from December to March and it is recommended to use rooting hormone. The best way would be by stratified seed because it has the higher success rate than woody cuttings. |
| Cultivation | The Abies will tolerate clay, loam, or sandy soils that are moist but well-draining. Prefers acidic or neutral pH with full sun. Plant in a slightly wind-protected area to protect from cold winds. |
| Pests | The Abies is pest and disease-free for the most part in Ontario rarely having problems. |
| Notable Specimens | Whistling Gardens, Wilsonville, Ontario, Canada. |
| Habitat | Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The older bark on the Abies is grey-bluish. The new stems are green and come off parallel. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Abies buds are rough-textured and have 3 oval buds on them. The buds are brown and often resinous. |
| Leaf Description | Coarse, butter-yellow or green, flat needles are arranged on the newer growth. Needles are 4-5cm long and curl upwards. |
| Flower Description | Produces cones 3-5 inches in diameter very late into maturity Id estimate 20+ years. Cones are a green-purple when young and turn brown in maturity. |
| Fruit Description | Insignificant and rare to see cones that turn into a dull grey in maturity. The cones hang on the bottom of branches and eventually fall apart and open to release their seeds. The cones are 6-12 cm long and 4-6 cm broad. |
| Colour Description | The tree turns completely butter-yellow in winter and in spring new growth emerges a chartreuse-green over top of the yellow foliage. After spring the foliage all turns green until the next winter. The bark is a light grey after first maturing and turns dark grey farther into maturity. |
| Texture Description | Abies has a medium texture and can become more soft looking during winter when yellow. |