Botanical Name: Abies concolor
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Common Name: White Fir  
Plant photo of: Abies concolor
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Tree, Conifer

 

Height Range

40-60', 60-100'

 

Flower Color

n/a

 

Flower Season

n/a

 

Leaf Color

Blue Green, Grey, Silver

 

Bark Color

Grey, White

 

Fruit Color

Brown, Purple

 

Fruit Season

Persistent

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Formal, Japanese, Meadow, Ranch, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Specimen, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Park, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Screen, Wind Break

 

Attracts Wildlife

Wildlife

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: JJ Neilson Arboretum
  • Description

  • Notes

White fir has a stiff, conical habit, dense, grayish-blue needles, and upright cones. It is the most tolerant of all the firs with respect to heat and pollution. It is also the fir best suited for use in our lower elevation, urban landscapes. It reaches 50 to 60 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, at a moderate rate. Bark is smooth, white gray in color. Foliage is beautiful all year round. White fir is a Utah native, but it is a higher elevation species and as such, appreciates supplemental irrigation during the hot summer months. But don't overwater, either.
White Fir needs well draining soil, full to part sun, and supplemental irrigation. It provides food and cover for grouse, squirrels, quail; deer also enjoy it so keep that in mind if you live in an urban-wildland interface. Like many evergreens, white fir look rather odd when "limbed-up" so plant where its low-sweeping branches have room and are an asset.