Abies lasiocarpa
Common names: subalpine fur, alpine fir, balsam fir, white fir, and mountain balsam fir, and corkbark fir.Abies lasiocarpa, most commonly known as subalpine fir, is the smallest of eight species of true fir indigenous to the western United States. It is distinguished by the long, narrow conical crown terminating in a conspicuous spikelike point. Two varieties are recognized: the typical variety (Abies lasiocarpa var.lasiocarpa) and corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa var.arizonica).
Description
Subalpine firs are medium sized trees usually 20-35 meters tall. (The tallest is 52 meters and lives on the Icicle Creek Trail in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in WA.) The trunk can grow to a diameter of 80 cm. Needles have blunt ends and are often notched at the tip. They are blue-green with a single white band on top and two beneath. Needles all tend to turn upward, but often a few stick out from the underside of the branch. The seed cones are deep purple and grow upright at the top of the crown. Like the cones of the other firs, they disintegrate on the tree, leaving a central spike. Pollen cones are bluish in color. The bark is smooth and grey, with resin blisters when young. The bark becomes broken into large scales with age.
Habitat
Subalpine fir is common in many interior forests in the western United States. It grows well at high elevations, from 600 to 2,250 meters. The range of subalpine fir goes as far north as the Yukon to as far south as Arizona.
ClimateSubalpine fir grows in cool and wet environments. The temperature range is from -45 degrees Celsius in winter to 32.2 degrees Celsius in summer. The average precipitation for subalpine fir exceeds 61 cm (24 in), much of which falls as snow.
UsesBesides the scenic beauty that subalpine firs can provide they are important species in providing habitat for various game and nongame animals. Fir is also used as lumber in building construction, and various other wood products.
