Noble Fir is a Western North American Fir, native to the Cascade Range and Coast Range mountains of extreme northwest California, Oregon and Washington in the United States. It is a high altitude tree, typically occurring at 980 to 4,900 feet. It is a tall needled evergreen reaching 270 feet in native stands, generally 50 to 100 feet in cultivation. It has a symmetrical, narrow growth habit with blue-green conifer needles. The bark on young trees is smooth, grey with resin blisters, becoming red-brown, rough and fissured on old trees. The cones are erect 4 to 10 inches long, 3 inches wide with purple scales ripening to brown and disintegrating to release the winged seeds in the fall. It is a medium to slow grower, reaching 75 feet in 30 to 60 years. It likes moist well drained conditions with sun or partial shade and can do well in rocky soils if there is enough moisture.

Noble Fir is a popular Christmas tree. The wood is used for general structural purposes and paper manufacture.

This species is aptly named, for it is probably the largest of all Abies in terms of diameter, height and wood volume. It was first found by fabled botanist-explorer David Douglas, growing in mountains on the north side of the Columbia River Gorge, where exceptional stands can still be found. It loves windy sites because it is one of the most windfirm trees, swaying grandly in even the most howling gales of winter.

Leaf: Flattened bluish needles, about 1 inch long, linear, and 4-angled in cross-section with a groove on top along the midrib; bluish white bloom on all surfaces; base curves, making the needle resemble a hockey stick; tips mostly rounded but may be pointed on cone bearing branches; spirally arranged but usually upswept.
Flower: Monoecious; male cones reddish and borne beneath the leaves; female cones erect, covered by long, pointed bracts, and borne near the top of the crown.
Fruit: Cones are 4 to 10 inches long, cylindrical, and borne upright on the twig; cone scales are deciduous, falling from the cone as seeds ripen; olive-brown when mature; bracts are longer than scales and turn down, almost covering the entire scale (as opposed to California red fir).
Twig: Moderately stout, reddish brown, and covered with round, flat leaf scars when needles fall; buds small, rounded, brown and mostly non-resinous, often surrounded by needles; terminal buds usually occur in clusters of three or more.
Bark: Initially gray-green and blistered, later becoming purplish gray to reddish brown with narrow ridges that are broken into rectangular blocks, somewhat scaly.

Zone: 5 to 7

Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate

Plant Type: Needled Evergreen Conifer
Family: Pinaceae

Native Range: Northwestern United States

Height: 50 to 100 feet, Can reach over 250 feet in wild.
Shape: Slightly tapered cylindrical.

Sun: Full Sun
Fall Color: Evergreen

Drought Tolerance: Low to Moderate

Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low

Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Prefers moist, cool, well-drained, acidic soil.

Uses: Specimen, Parks, Lawns, Christmas Tree, Bonsai

Sowing Abies procera Seeds:

For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.

Scarify: Soak in water for 24 hours

Stratify: Cold 30-45 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium.

Germination: Sow 1/4” Deep