Korean fir is an evergreen conifer in the pine family (Pinaceae) and is native to North and South Korea. The Genus name is Latin for tree. Specific epithet refers to its native range. This fir will slowly grow 15-30 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide with a conical to pyramidal form. Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist well-drained soil. It is intolerant of wet sites and urban conditions. Korean fir does best in cooler climates but will tolerate some heat and humidity. The short broad dark green needles have a silvery underside and are densely packed on the stems. The upright pink to purple cones are attractive against the needles and are produced on young trees. It is commonly used as an ornamental yard tree, for screening and can also be used as a Christmas Tree. Because it has a shallow root system it is easy to transplant. Korean fir won the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society as has the cultivar 'Silberlocke'. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Disease problems include root rot, needle rust and twig blight.
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.
This plant has cones. The cones can be light pink to purple and 2-3 inches long. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity in the fall.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
Smooth with resin blisters
Stem color
Gray/Silver; Green; Pink
Stem detail
horizontal branches. The shoots are green-grey at first, maturing pinkish-grey, with scattered fine pubescence.