Abies magnifica (California Red Fir, Californian Red Fir, Shasta Red Fir, Silver-ip Fir)


Botanical Information

FamilyPinaceae
GenusAbies
Speciesmagnifica
CategoryWoody
TypeTree (evergreen)
ReferencesSargent, C. S. (1965). Manual of the Trees of North America (Vol. 1, pp. 58-59). New York: Dover Publication. Sibley, D. A. (2009). The Sibley Guide to Trees (p. 55). New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
OriginNorth America in the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountains.
Ethnobotanical Uses
Disclaimer
The wood may be burned and for fuel. Lumber is manufactured to be formed into cases and pallets etc. and it is also used in the production of paper. The tree itself is also used for Christmas trees. In early pioneer history the branches and wood were used to make beds.

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone3 - 8
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone4 - 9
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness ZoneH5
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)-32 to -7
Temperature (°F)- 25 to 15
Height61 m
Spread3 m
GrowthMedium
Flowering PeriodApril, May, June

Description and Growing Information

General DescriptionA very tall, gangly looking tree, acquiring a more columnar form as it matures over time. Branching on this species is short and protruding out of the main trunk horizontally. As the tree becomes older with time, the top of the tree takes on a more mounded shape.
ID CharacteristicSurrounding the terminal bud are the shortest needles that indicate the annual growth. Needles are singularly spaced pointing upwards.
ShapeThe tree has horizontal branches that weep downwards slightly while the crown is narrow and comes to a slightly rounded top on mature specimens.
LandscapeWoodland gardens and naturalized planting areas.
PropagationStratify the seed for 3 months at a temperature of -1?C; doing so will improve the chances of germination.
CultivationPrefers a gravelly loam soil which is cool, moist and acidic in full sun.
PestsBroom rust, annosus root rot, yellow cap fungus, Indian paint fungus, bark beetles, cut worms, chalcid wasp, cone maggots and cone moths. Those that cause occasional damage are: dwarf mistletoe, needle miner, gophers, meadow voles, squirrels, and other small rodents.
Notable SpecimensSan Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
HabitatCool and moist mountainous regions at an altitude of 1,400 to 1,830 m.
Bark/Stem DescriptionThe bark when young is thin and greyish in colour however it becomes thicker as it matures. Mature bark becomes deeply divided with round ridges, looking like broad reddish plates.
Flower/Leaf Bud DescriptionThe buds are about 7 - 10 mm long and are ovoid in shape and acute. The buds have bright chestnut brown scales with prominent midribs.
Leaf DescriptionThe needles are rounded and pointed at the tip and are 2 - 3.7 cm long by 2 mm wide. The needles emerge from the branch and protrude upwards. Needles are quite pale and glaucous in the first season then turn a blue-green colour as they mature.
Flower DescriptionThe flowers are monoecious. Males are purple to a dark red colour and reside on the underside of the branches. Females have a reddish-brown colour and are born upright close to the top of the crown.
Fruit DescriptionCones are 15 - 20 cm long and 7 - 10 cm wide. The cones sit upright on the branches. The juvenile cones are purplish in colour and turn brown as they mature. Seeds are 15 mm long and are 6 mm wide and a dark reddish-brown with long reddish wings as long as the seed body.
Colour DescriptionThe new needles have a silvery-glaucous colour whereas the older needles are dark greenish blue. There is a whitish-blue bloom which is a wax coating on the surface of the needles. The back of the needle displays white strips along the ridges and centre of the needle.
Texture DescriptionThe base of the tree is quite thick. The bark has a ridged and coarse texture which it retains year round: the crown appears gangly.

Photographs