Abies concolor — white fir
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Facts
White fir is native to the mountains of the west, from Oregon and California south to New Mexico, and it is well-adapted for germination and survival in deep snow. This attractive tree is planted in New England and occasionally found growing wild in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. It's silvery-green needles, growing stoutly outward from the twigs, are distinctive.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forests, shrublands or thickets
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf form
-
- the leaves are needle-like
- the leaves are scale-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are flattened (can't be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Winter bud shape
-
- the winter buds are conical (cone-shaped)
- the winter buds are globose (spherical, globe-shaped)
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed cone base
- NA
- Seed cone bracts
- the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Seed cone scales
- NA
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is cylindrical (cylinder-shaped)
- Seed cone symmetry
- the seed cone is symmetrical
- Seed cone umbo position
- there is no raised portion on the seed cone scale
- Seed cone umbo spine
- NA
- Seed wings
- the seeds have wing-like projections
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- there is one needle-like leaf per node
- Leaf base
- the base of the needle-like leaf is expanded to a circular attachment point
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are single, with one per node
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are flattened (can't be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf duration
- the needle-like leaves remain green all winter
- Leaf form
-
- the leaves are needle-like
- the leaves are scale-like
- Leaf glands
- there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
- Leaf stalks
- the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
- Leaf types
- there is only one type of needle-like leaf on the twig
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- shrublands or thickets
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Bark resin blisters
- the bark has small resin blisters on it
- Leaves on shoots
- the needle-like leaves do not grow in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hair type
-
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands
- Twig hairs
-
- the twig does not have hairs
- the twig is hairy
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
var. concolor
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ex Hildebr. E
white fir. MA, ME, VT. Forests and thickets, often in areas of human habitation, though sometimes seen in remote areas (e.g., coastal islands of ME).
Native to North America?
Yes