Noble Fir

Species Name

Noble Fir (Abies Procera)

Seed Source

Denmark, Addithus (Also Danish Frijsenborg under cultivation)

Character

Addithus: Seed collected from Danish noble fir strains selected and grown over the past 100+ years for blue color, uniform growth and disease resistance. Desirable for ornamental, cut boughs and Christmas tree uses. Extremely hardy. Deep green foliage, faster growing than most sources.

Frijsenborg: A special strain grown from seed collected in a 3rd generation seed orchard in Denmark. Selections are made for hardiness, blue needle color, bud structure, needle form, branch density, disease resistance and heritability.

Soil

Prefers moist soils.

Growth

Very beautiful and distinctive due to densest, deepest green foliage of any Christmas tree species. Shapes very well, especially if leader is sheared mid-growth to control tip vigor.

Needle

Excellent

Shade

Fair-good

Aspect

Will grow well on all slopes but has a slight preference for somewhat sheltered aspects.

Description

Needles: About 1 inch long, linear, and 4-angled in cross-section with a groove on top along the midrib; bluish-white bloom on all surfaces; base curves, making the needle resemble a hockey stick; tips mostly rounded but may be pointed on cone-bearing branches. Spirally arranged but usually upswept. Twig: Moderately stout, reddish-brown, and covered with round, flat leaf scars when needles fall. Buds are small, rounded, brown and mostly non-resinous; often surrounded by needles, terminal buds usually occur in clusters of three or more. Bark: Initially gray-green and blistered, later becoming purplish-gray to reddish-brown with narrow ridges that are broken into rectangular blocks, somewhat scaly. Form: Noble fir is a large evergreen 140 to 200 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet in diameter with a crown that is conical in young trees, but rounded when mature.