Scientific name: Abies concolor
Common name: white fir
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the mountains and riparian areas of the western United States and northern Mexico [1,2,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for A. concolor.
USDA Zones: 3-7 [3]
Maximum age: 300 years [2]
Ecology: The saplings and tender, new foliage are palatable to deer and small mammals. Grouse roost in its branches, competing for its seeds with squirrels and rodents. Porcupines gnaw the bark, often felling saplings [2,3]. Owls and bald eagles also nest in concolor fir, while its trunk cavities and hollow logs provide shelter for weasels, porcupines, and black bears [3].
Ethnobotany: White fir is a popular Christmas tree species in the western US, and an important source of lumber for construction materials [1,2,3]. The needles, resin, and bark are used medicinally by many Indigenous American groups. Historically, the wood was used to create smoking pipes, and the bark was used as a dye for deerhide [3,4].
