Maine Native Fir Trees, Abies and Pseudotsuga

Fir Trees of Maine

There are two varieties of Abies balsamea, one being typical of the species, var. balsamea, and the other being var. phanerolepis. For this article, we will discuss the species as a whole.
A slow growing tree species, the oldest individual trees are typically not more than 200 years old. Reaching 40 to 60 feet in height and 1 to 1.5 feet in diameter, a single trunk supports whorled branches. The ...more

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Foliage of abies balsamea consists of many short needles

Abies balsamea seeds are light brown and have one large wing

Abies balsamea is native to all of Maine

A shallow root system

supports a single trunk

encased in whorls of

branches. The needles of

Abies concolor are are

deep bluish-green but are

the lightest of all nine

native firs, with new growth

lighter still. Flat and blunt

to pointed at the tips, the

needles are 2-3 inches

long, in ranks of 2, extend

at a right angle out from

the twig and have silvery

bands called ...more

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Abies concolor is native to the majority of the western United States as well as isolated pockets in Maine and Massachusetts

This fir tree has the lightest of all the fir species native to North America earning it the nicknames white fir or silver fir.

The dense foliage and pyramidal shape make Abies concolor a Christmas favorite.

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Colorado Fir (Abies concolor (Gord & Glend) Lindl.)
Common names: White Fir, Silver Fir
Height: 125-200 ft
Diameter: 2-4 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: Medium
Annual rainfall: 18-80 inches
Soil Needs: dry to moist
Frost Free Days: 80
Growth Rate: slow
Longevity: 300 years or more
State List: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MA, ME,
NM, NV, OR, UT, WY

The state distribution maps in the species info boxes below are from the USDA NRCS PLANTS Database at plants.usda.gov. In instances where state specific maps are unavailable, the US distribution map will be used in its place. Also, the PLANTS Database website states "Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens,

and confirmed observations. However, not all populations have been documented, so some gaps in the distribution shown above may not be real. Remember that only native and naturalized populations are mapped!"

Also included in the Pine family, Pinaceae, are the genera Larix (Larch), Picea (Spruce), Pinus (Pine), and Tsuga (Hemlock).

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species here.

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Native Remedies Effective Remedies for You and Your Family

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)
Height: 40-60 ft
Diameter: 1-1.5 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: low
Annual rainfall: 13-60
Soil Needs: moist, rocky
Frost Free Days: 80
Minimum Temperature (F): -43
Growth Rate: slow
Longevity: 200 years
State List: CT, IA, IN, MA, MD, ME,
MI, MN, NH, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT
WI, WV

Maine

The Pine Tree State, 'I lead'

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