Fraser Fir, Southern Balsam Fir, Southern Fir

A very handsome conifer native to the Appalachians and a very popular Christmas tree due to its retaining its needles so well, plus they ...Read Moreare soft and fragrant. The few I saw around in landscapes in the Chicago area grew very poorly or just alright, depending. It does not like lots of heat, drought and strong winds. I found two good landscape specimens in a landscape in a sheltered area in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I also found 5 planted in a natural park called Strubel Lake Park in southeast PA doing well in full sun. It differs from the very similar Balsam Fir by having reflexed bracts on the cones longer than the scales, the needles are a little thicker on the twigs and can be a little shorter to 0.4 " long to 1" long. It can be as fragrant as the Balsam species or only slightly fragrant. Some botanists think of this as a southern natural variety of the Balsam Fir, as Abies balsamea fraseri, which is native to the middle Appalachian Mountains of NC, SC, TN.

Evergreen tree which can reach 40'. Shape is like a pyramid. It is a slow grower.

Bark is smooth and dark green when you...Read Moreng. This tree prefers moist, well-drained loamy soil. Prefers cooler climates, too. As with many other fir trees, the deer love this one, too.