Syrian fir is a conifer in the pine (Pinaceae) family that typically grows at 3,000 to 6,000 feet in elevation. It is native to Syria, Lebanon and Turkey in the mountains and is often found growing in rocky, well-drained, calcareous soils. The climate of this region is hot dry summers an mild moist winters. Syrian fir is a tall, fairly narrow tree that will grow 60-80 feet tall and 16-26 feet wide with a narrowly conical crown. Trunks can reach 20 feet in diameter in the wild. This tree will grow in full sun to partial shade and will do best in cooler summer locations. The spiral needles have two white bands on the undersides and a light-pleasing scent. The seed cones are held upright on the branches. Use this tree for privacy, as a specimen or for shade. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: See potential insect problems for conifers fact sheet to the left
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in. | Width: 16 ft. 0 in. - 26 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Columnar; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green; White
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Bright green nedles with white, longitudinal bands on the undersides are loosely arranged in a whorl. Needles can be green, light green, or blue-green.
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
No fruits, produces cones. Seed cones are upright on branches cylindrical 6 to 8 inches long apex bluntly pointed scales fan-shaped, bracts hidden. Cones can be light green, light yellow, and brown. Resinous, seeds reddish-brown wing obovoid.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Ashy gray, smooth becoming deeply fissured into scaly plates.
Buds are not resinous, ovoid, brown; scales keeled and free at tips. Branches are reddish to yellow-gray to olive-brown, slightly pubescent the first year then glabrous thereafter
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
Food & Medicine
Uses (ethnobotany)
Ancient Egyptians used the wood to treat swelling
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Woodland
Design feature
Screen/Privacy; Shade Tree
Garden tags
#conifer #full sun tolerant #needles #evergreen #shade tree #partial shade tolerant #showy cones #privacy #cool summers #fragrant needles #specimen #hortcontest