Grand fir is an evergreen conifer native to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,800 m. in the Pinaceae (pine) family. There are two varieties growing at different altitudes. The coastal variety is one of the tallest firs in the world. This is a large tree for the landscape and is probably best used for naturalization within its growing environment. It is very fragrant and can be used as a Christmas tree. Firs are wildlife-friendly and are used for cover, nesting and food by birds and mammals. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. The balsam woolly adelgid is a problem in some areas. Other potential insect pests include bark beetles, spruce budworms, tussock moths, aphids, bagworms and scale. Spider mites may occur in hot conditions. Potential disease problems include cankers, heart rot, root rot, needle rust and twig blight. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
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); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 130 ft. 0 in. - 230 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 26 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Conical; Irregular
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green; White
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery; Prickly
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Needle-like, flattened leaves are 1 to 1.3 inches long and 0.1 inches wide. The glossy dark green leaves have two green-white bands of stomata on the underside and are slightly notched at the tip. The two-ranked leaves spiral around the shoot, but each leaf is variably twisted at the base so they all lie in two more-or-less flat ranks on either side of the shoot.
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
The cones are 1.3 to 4 inches long. The scale bracts are short and hidden in the closed cone. In about six months the cone breaks apart and the winged seeds are released.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is gray in younger trees and becomes brown with age, often with reddish periderm visible in furrows bounded by hard flat ridges.
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Twigs are mostly opposite and light brown
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southwestern Canada to CA
Distribution
Western Canada, CA, ID, OR
Wildlife value
Firs are useful to many animals for cover and nesting sites. Grouse eat the needles. Deer and elk eat the foliage and twigs in the winter. Birds, chipmunks and squirrels eat the seeds.
Attracts
Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Uses (ethnobotany)
Plateau Indian tribes used the inner bark for treating colds and fever. Used as a Christmas tree and used in paper-making, as well as construction for framing and flooring.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Naturalized Area
Design feature
Foundation Planting
Garden tags
#Christmas trees #shade tree #evergreen #landscape plant sleuths course #showy cones #frost tolerant #fragrant stems #fragrant needles