Woody > Abies > Abies fraseri > Abies fraseri
Abies fraseri
Fraser Fir or Balsam Fir
Origin: Introduced to Lees Nursery in Hammersmith, England in 1811 by John Fraser a publisher of botanicals and plant collector who undertook expeditions in Eastern North America after the American revolutionary war.
| Family |
| Pinaceae |
| Genus |
| Abies |
| Species |
| fraseri |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 5 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4-7 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -29 to -23 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -20 to -10 |
| Height |
| 12 m |
| Spread |
| 6 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Crowded, dark glossy needles. Fraser Fir has been designated the Cadillac of Christmas Trees; rare in cultivation otherwise. |
| Landscape |
| Excellent evergreen in the right climate but suffers in the hot weather. It has become a favoured Christmas tree in the southern highlands of the United States and is also used in short lived cultivation, such as in Canada. |
| Cultivation |
| Short-lived and of little ornamental or asthetic value. |
| Shape |
| Pyramidal |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Notable for its crowded needles, rich, luxuriant foliage, and for producing cones while still a young specimen. |
| Habitat |
| Mountains from West Virginia, to Northern Carolina and Tennessee and at elevations of 1600 - 2000 m. |
| Leaf Description |
| Needles are crowded, flat, grooved, shiny dark green, with stomates above or near the apex, with 2 broad silvery bands of 8 - 12 stomatic lines beneath. |
| Flower Description |
| Monoecious. |
| Fruit Description |
| Ovoid or cylindrical cones, fruit is purple when young and gradually becomes a tan-brown towards maturity; 3.5 - 6 cm in size. |
| Colour Description |
| Foliage is shiny dark green. |
| Texture Description |
| Medium. |
| Propagation |
| Seed. Recommendations vary somewhat but a cold period of 15 - 30 days seems to be beneficial. |
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