white fir Pinaceae Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ex Hildebr. symbol: ABCO Leaf: Flattened needles, silvery blue-green both above and below, 2 to 3 inches long, blunt at the tip, extending at right angles from the twig, often curving upwards. A citrus smell is present when the needle is broken. White bloom may be distributed evenly or may occur in distinct bands on both surfaces. Flower: Species is monoecious; males yellow- to red-toned, catkin-like; females inconspicuous, yellow-brown. Fruit: Cones are upright, 3 to 5 1/2 inches long, oblong, yellow-green to purple, with erose shoulders; deciduous at maturity with seed dispersal in fall. Twig: Twigs are dark orange at first, becoming gray-green, then gray. Leaf scars are circular. Bark: Thin, smooth and gray on young trees, with resin pockets. On old trees, thick, ashy gray with deep, irregular furrows. Form: Young trees are conical. Older trees develop a dome-like crown. Looks like: Pacific silver fir - noble fir - subalpine fir - California red fir Additional Range Information: Abies concolor is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting white fir. More: Wood External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics Landowner Factsheet USDA Plants Database Horticulture © Copyright 2015, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson