"F" is for: Fir, Flat, Flexible and Friendly (soft) needles. ✋︎ On the other hand, cypress / juniper / redwood family Cupressaceae and hemlock genus Tsuga also meet these tests. ✋︎ On the third hand, Fir needles: crushed in your hand, 👃︎ smell like 🍊︎ citrus.
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needles=very long, 2½–6 cm (1–2½ in), and far apart;needle upper- and undersurface each have two white stripes;🇺🇸 USA West◼︎ white fir Abies concolor
needle undersurface=whitish, fragrant;🇨🇦 Canada, and 🇺🇸 USA Northbalsam fir Abies balsamea needle undersurface=whitish;🇺🇸 USA 🗻︎ AppalachiaFraser fir Abies fraseri
Part of 🌲︎ cedar / fir / hemlock / larch / pine / spruce family Pinaceae in 🌲︎ conifer order Pinales. Despite its common name, Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii is not a true fir genus Abies.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key).
Uses by native peoples(Ethnobotany database)
Abies hosts caterpillars of 55 speciesof butterflies and moths, in some areas.
Firs are known to be a host for (in areas where invasive) balsam woolly adelgid Adelges piceae, a small wingless invasive insect that infests and kills fir genus Abies, especially balsam fir Abies balsamea and Fraser fir Abies fraseri. Although some sources say some fir species, in their natural stands, show signs of resistance.
🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Gymnosperm database Michigan Flora Minnesota Wildflowers Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db Wikipedia
🏠︎ 🌲︎ conifer order Pinales 🌲︎ conifers with needles arranged singly
balsam fir Abies balsamea ◼︎ white fir Abies concolor Fraser fir Abies fraseri
jack pine Pinus banksiana
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata quaking aspen Populus tremuloides
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii