Korean fir: planting and caring for the tree, varieties and their characteristics. Characteristics, properties of fir and its types Noble fir

Fir (abies) is an evergreen tree or shrub from the Pine family. Externally, the plant is very similar to spruce, and in the structure and direction of growth of cones - to cedar. Most representatives are distributed from the tropics to the Arctic Circle of the Northern Hemisphere. The largest number of fir trees is concentrated in western Canada, the USA and East Asia. Depending on the type, fir trees are heat-loving or frost-resistant, but all are sensitive to drought and stagnant water. Fir is used in the woodworking industry, landscaping, and in folk medicine.

Botanical description

Fir is an evergreen perennial in the form of a tree or shrub. Its pyramidal crown can be translucent or dense, narrow or spreading. The height, depending on climatic conditions and species, is 0.5-80 m. The rhizome is predominantly taproot, but is located shallowly (up to 2 m from the soil surface). Young trunks and branches are covered with smooth gray-brown bark, which over the years becomes covered with vertical, deep cracks. The branches grow in a ring shape, almost perpendicular to the trunk or have an ascending character.

On young shoots there are needles and resinous buds. Flat, not too stiff needles are narrowed at the base. They have solid edges and 2 white stripes at the bottom. The needles grow comb-like, in two planes. The needles are arranged singly and are colored dark green, sometimes bluish-silver. Their length is about 5-8 cm.

Fir is a monoecious plant. She dissolves male and female cones. Male strobili resemble catkins and grow in groups. Due to the large amount of pollen, they acquire a straw-yellow or reddish color. The female cones are cylindrical or ovoid in shape and grow on erect stems pointing upward. The length of each is 3-11 cm. The covering scales are attached to the rod. At first, their color is dominated by pinkish-violet shades. Over time, the woody scales turn brown. Already in the fall of this year, small winged seeds are ripening under them. In September-October, the cone completely crumbles and the seeds scatter. Only the rods remain on the branches.

Types and varieties of perennials

In total, 50 plant species are registered in the fir genus.

The inhabitant of high-mountain Asia and South Korea is part of mixed forests. The tree has a wide cone-shaped crown. It grows up to 15 m in height. The light gray bark has a red-brown or purple tint. Dense needles 10-15 mm long have a hard surface and saber-shaped shape. It is characterized by a dark green color. Cylindrical cones of violet-purple color grow 5-7 cm in length. Popular varieties:

• Silberlok is a low (up to 200 cm) conical tree covered with dark green needles with silver-white stripes at the base;
• Diamond is a dwarf (0.3-0.60 m) plant with an oval bright green crown.

A slender tree with an openwork crown grows 30 m in height. Almost from the very ground it is covered with thin branches with smooth dark gray bark. Gradually, deep cracks appear in the bark. The variety produces a large amount of fragrant transparent resin (fir balsam). Dark green needles with a waxy coating last up to 7-10 years. Flowering occurs in May, and fruit ripening occurs in September-October.

The inhabitant of North America is found off the coast of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a slender tree 15-25 cm high with a cone-shaped crown. The needles are 15-25 mm long and have a blunt edge and a small notch at the end. Light stripes are visible at the base of the glossy dark green needles. Oval purple strobili grow 5-10 cm long and 20-25 mm in diameter. Varieties:

• Nana is a low, spreading shrub, 0.5 m in height and up to 2.5 m in width. It is distinguished by short (only 4-10 mm in length) dark green needles;
• Piccolo is a rounded bush up to 40 cm in diameter with dense, closely spaced branches strewn with dark green needles.

Caucasian fir (Nordmann). Trees about 60 m in height are found along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Turkey. They have a narrow, cone-shaped crown. Due to its high density, it almost does not transmit light. The buds are devoid of resin. Dark green needles grow 1-4 cm in length. In early May, green cones appear, which gradually turn dark brown. The length of the cones is 12-20 cm.

The tree grows in the mountains of the southeastern United States. It has a conical or columnar crown and reaches 12-25 m in height. The bark of young shoots is smooth gray, and the bark of old shoots is scaly red-brown. Short (up to 20 mm) needles are dark green in color. The oblong female strobili, about 3.5-6 cm in length, have a purple tint when they appear, but then turn yellow-brown. The variety is famous for its good frost resistance.

Single-color fir (concolor). The tree, up to 60 m high and with a trunk diameter of up to 190 cm, lives in the mountainous regions of the western United States. It is actively used in the woodworking industry. The plant has gray smooth bark and branches perpendicular to the trunk. Flat green needles with a slight blue or whitish tint are curved in a crescent shape. Their length is 1.5-6 cm. Cones appear in May. The males are smaller, collected in groups and colored purple or red. Female, oval ones grow 7-12 cm in length. They have a light green tint.

White fir (European or comb). The tree, 30-65 m high, is common in Southern and Central Europe. The pyramidal or oval translucent crown consists of horizontal or raised branches covered with flat dark green needles 2-3 cm long. Female cylindrical cones grow 10-16 cm in length. They change color from green to dark brown.

The tree, 30 m high, has a narrow, symmetrical, conical crown. The shoots are covered with smooth silver-gray bark. Slightly forked soft needles reach 1-3 cm in length. It is dark green in color and has bluish-white stripes at the base. The upward-pointing cylindrical cones, 45-55 mm long, are purple when they appear, but become dark brown.

Reproduction methods

Fir is propagated using seeds and cuttings. The seed method is more suitable for species plants. Seeds are collected at the beginning of the ripening stage. This can be done while the cones have not yet fallen apart and the seeds have not scattered over long distances. They are dried and the seed material is extracted. Until next spring, the seeds are left in a fabric bag. In order for them to undergo stratification, the bag is placed in the refrigerator or basement for several months. In mid-spring they are planted in open ground. To do this, prepare a bed. Garden soil is mixed with turf soil and sand. The seeds are buried 1.5-2 cm and then covered with film. Shoots appear after 20-25 days, after which the shelter can be removed. Watering and loosening are carried out regularly. During the first year, it is important to remove weeds promptly. For the winter, fir seedlings are covered with spruce branches. In spring they can be transplanted to a permanent place. At first, plants develop quite slowly. Annual growth is up to 10 cm.

It is customary to propagate varietal fir by cuttings. For this purpose, annual shoots from young individuals are used. The length of the cutting should be 5-8 cm. It is important that there is a single bud at the top, and a heel (a section of bark from the mother plant) is preserved at the base. Cuttings are harvested in early spring, before sap flow begins. It is better to do this at the beginning of the day in cloudy weather. 6 hours before planting, the shoots are soaked in a fungicide solution to prevent fungal infections. It is important to ensure that the bark does not separate from the wood at the heel. Planting is done in pots filled with a mixture of leaf and humus soil and river sand. The seedlings are covered with a transparent film, which should not come into contact with the top. For better rooting, organize bottom heating so that the soil temperature is 2-3 °C higher than room temperature. Containers are placed in a place with bright, diffused light. You need to ventilate the cuttings daily and moisten the soil as necessary. From May they are exposed to fresh air, and for the winter they are taken back into the house. A full-fledged rhizome develops after a year.

Features of planting and transplanting

Fir grows best in partial shade or in a well-lit place, protected from gusts of wind. It does not tolerate high air pollution and stagnation of water in the soil. Planting work is planned for mid-spring or early autumn on a cloudy day. The soil should be fertile with a slightly acidic reaction. Firs grow well on well-drained loams.

Site preparation begins 3-4 weeks in advance. They dig it up and form a hole 60 cm wide and deep. A drainage layer of gravel, crushed stone or fragments of red brick is laid on the bottom. Then a mound is poured from a mixture of humus, clay, sand, peat, nitrophoska and sawdust. When planting, the roots are distributed evenly, fixing the root collar at soil level. The free space is filled with nutrient substrate. It is compacted and a trunk circle is formed with a small depression for watering.

When planting in groups, a distance of 2.5-4.5 m must be maintained between plants. The same distance should be maintained with respect to buildings and fences.

Unlike other coniferous plants, fir at the age of 5-10 years tolerates transplantation well. Preparation for the procedure begins at 6-12 months. Using a shovel, draw a circle at a distance of about 40-50 cm from the trunk to a depth of 1 bayonet. On the appointed day, the procedure is repeated and the earthen ball is lifted. The plant is removed along with a lump of earth. It is important to try to maintain its integrity and immediately plant it in a new place so that the rhizome does not dry out.

Secrets of caring for fir

Fir is considered an undemanding plant. The greatest attention will have to be paid to young plants. In the first years after planting, you should regularly loosen and weed the soil so that it does not crust over. It is imperative to mulch the surface with a layer of wood chips, sawdust or peat to a height of 58 cm. It is necessary to slightly remove the mulch from the trunk.

Watering is necessary only during prolonged drought. Decorative moisture-loving varieties need them more. Fir does not like stagnation of water at the roots, so irrigation is carried out in small portions so that the moisture has time to be absorbed into the ground.

2-3 years after planting, the plants are fed for the first time. In the spring, mineral fertilizer (“Kemira-universal”) is scattered in the tree trunk circle.

Pruning is carried out in early spring. Most often, damaged, dry shoots are removed, but the crown can be shaped. You can remove no more than 30% of the length of the shoots.

Adult plants can easily tolerate even severe frosts and do not need shelter. Young individuals should be additionally protected by mulching the soil with peat and dry leaves to a height of 10-12 cm. It would not be a bad idea to cover the base of the trunk or the entire low bush with spruce branches.

Plant diseases rarely bother fir. Sometimes you need to observe yellowing of the needles and rusty pads on the bark (rust). Damaged sprouts are completely removed and treated with a fungicide (“Bordeaux mixture”).

The main pest of the plant is the hermes fir (small insect, a type of aphid). If it is detected, it should be treated with an insecticide. Most often, gardeners practice preventive spraying in early spring, during the period when insects awaken.

Fir could rightfully take first place in the beauty contest of coniferous perennial plants. Fluffy fur coat, vertically standing candlesticks with pine cones - all this makes her a welcome guest in many suburban areas. Korean fir also amazes the imagination with the incredible color of its cones. But to get this beauty, proper care is necessary. Because this tree is considered an aristocrat among the pine family.

Aristocratic family

Gardeners love silverlock (Korean) fir because it does not grow quickly and practically does not need pruning. Its branches and tops form natural beautiful weaves. Tolerates lack of heat and light well. It can be adjacent to other trees, but also looks great as a separate garden decoration.

Varieties of Korean spruce:

• molly - has a perfectly even trunk and a magnificent crown. This allows it to be used as a hedge. Needs good lighting. In the absence of light, the branches become very elongated and the aesthetic appearance is disrupted;
• diamond is a rare and valuable variety of dwarf tree. After 10 years of life, its height rarely exceeds 40 cm. Therefore, this variety is actively used to create alpine slides. The plant does not like strong wind and shade.

It is better to take all varieties of these trees for planting as developed seedlings. The plant should be planted in March or September. The soil is acidic, well-drained and moderately moist.

The most popular fir trees for landscape design

Purple-violet decorative cones, green-white needles - this is what balsam fir looks like. This variety is very resistant to frost and is famous for its healing powers. It has a kind of needles, which are divided into an even parting.

The plant prefers shade, does not take root in hot climates, and needs moist and loose soil. This variety has many dwarf varieties:

• piccolo - the branches are arranged radially, deviating slightly downwards. The gray needles have a green tint;
• kiwi - the interesting bluish-green color of the needles will make this tree a decoration for any garden;
• Hudsonia - has a wide crown and dense branches. The tree is dark green, tinged with black. At the bottom, the needles become bluish-green;
• Nana is the most shade-tolerant and frost-resistant variety. Suitable for decorating rocky garden varieties.

Single-color fir is a tall and luxurious representative of the pine family. It has a dense crown formed by a pyramid, the branches grow parallel to the ground. The decorative variety (blue) is distinguished by the silvery color of its needles. It is this variety that is highly revered by landscape designers. The frost-resistant subspecies of single-color fir is the most resistant to pests.

Decorative forms:

• violacea violet - the needles are long and large, white-blue in color. Can be planted singly or in small groups. Tolerates smoky air well, is not afraid of frost and drought;
• compacta is a dwarf hybrid fir in the form of a shrub, the branches are spread unevenly.

Russian beauty

Siberian fir has been known since childhood. This type of coniferous tree is found almost throughout the entire territory of Russia. They can be found even in the mountains, but there these trees are somewhat lower.

Siberian fir is one of the most important forest-forming species. Does not like poor soil and wetlands, tolerates cold well. It is difficult to breed in large cities, since it withers due to dirty air.

Fir does not need constant sunlight. It itself provides a very dense shade, under which only a few types of grass and moss can survive.

Siberian fir, a photo of which is often found in biology textbooks, is a monoecious plant. Yellow, oval spikelets are male. They have flight bubbles, thanks to which they can fly over long distances. In early June, the male spikelets fall off.

Dark red spikelets are female. They develop cones that stand like candles. The mature cone is light brown in color and cylindrical in shape.

The seeds ripen in late summer - early autumn. But fir can also reproduce vegetatively. Dry branches do not lose their needles, as happens with spruce.

Siberian fir has many useful properties; it is used for the production of paper, pulp, and musical instruments.

Fir balsam is used to glue glass in optical instruments.

Fir needles, which are rich in vitamin C, are used in medicine. They can be collected all year round. But the maximum amount of ascorbic acid is contained in spring needles.

Danish charm

Nordmann fir is distinguished by its extraordinary decorativeness, dense needles and tart aroma. She can often be seen in American Christmas films. Its other name is Caucasian fir.

It’s hard to believe that such uniformly fluffy branches and an ideal crown were created by nature itself. For a long time, only aristocrats could afford this tree. Now anyone can grow such a miracle in their garden plot.

The needles of this fir are rounded, soft and completely non-thorny. Danish fir cones appear after the first year of life, which gives young firs a special piquancy. The fruits of this fir are bright and large, ranging in color from light brown to purple.

It is better to plant Caucasian fir in September or April; it should be warm and cloudy outside. Moist, nutritious soil is suitable for it. This coniferous tree does not tolerate drought and excessive humidity.

When choosing a location, you should take into account that this fir is not afraid of winds, but suffers from polluted air. Caucasian fir does not like to be replanted. In its natural environment it grows quickly. Cultivated varieties can grow 15 cm in a year.

When choosing seedlings, preference should be given to mature trees (5-6 years old). Young fir should be in an individual container. A bare root system can lead to rapid death of the plant.

For young specimens, timely care is important:

• regular watering;
• weed control;
• protection from pests.

A stronger fir does not need such careful care.

North American discovery

The Fraser fir owes its popularity to a botanist from Scotland. This tree is not very popular in Russia. But American residents love Fraser fir very much, and often decorate it for Christmas.

This fir is often confused with balsam fir because it also produces resin bubbles. Fraser fir lives high in the mountains and is resistant to low temperatures.

Read also: What does a fir look like?

The tree is slender, elegant, not very tall. The crown is conical and very dense in young specimens. The branches are located straight or at a slight angle to the trunk. With age, the tree acquires lightness and airiness due to the large gaps between the branches.

This fir has unusual needles - short, flat, almost spineless, arranged in a spiral.

This plant is very demanding to care for. The soil must be constantly drained, fed, and moistened. Fir is not adapted to survive in urban conditions. But it takes root well in gardens and parks.

Can grow in a group with larches, pines and birches. Development does not suffer even with a single planting.

Rules of care:

• after planting, it is necessary to illuminate the seedling well, this will help the crown to form correctly;
• it is necessary to trim the buds of side shoots in the fall;
• in the spring, fir should be freed from frozen and dry branches and complex mineral fertilizers should be applied;
• in hot weather you need to spray every 2-3 days;
• Adult plants cannot be replanted.

Carpathian healer

White fir is known for its medicinal properties. Its woody greens are used to obtain essential oils and medicinal camphor. In ancient times, this tree was considered sacred. The Carpathians and the mountains of Central and Southern Europe are considered its home.

This plant is monoecious and dioecious. Has good decorative properties.

Young plants have a pyramid-shaped crown. By mid-life, the tree takes on a more rounded shape. In older ones, the interlacing of branches resembles a nest. The trunk is smooth, with silver-white bark. The paws are located horizontally and can rise slightly.

This representative of the pine family does not have very long needles. The needles are dark green, with a slight white tint.

Young fruit cones have an oval, cylindrical shape and a bright green color. As it ripens, the color changes, dark brown tones appear. The seeds are large and ripen in the autumn of the first year.

The tree has a good root system. It does not like dry soil and air. It tolerates frosts well, but with a strong drop in temperature it can freeze. It can live in the shade, but dies in heavily polluted air.

It is rarely used to decorate the landscape, since it is inferior to its counterparts in terms of aesthetic parameters. It is better to use cuttings for planting.

Guest from Alaska

Subalpine fir (rough-fruited) lives high in the mountains, so it grows slowly. Adult specimens are not distinguished by their great height and trunk thickness. The crown of the tree is narrow, resembling a wedge.

Grows best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Can tolerate excessive moisture and heavy snowfalls.

The needles are prickly, silver-gray in color, becoming bluish-green with age. The round buds contain a lot of resin.

The tree is suitable for forming alleys and helps purify the air. Looks good both in groups and alone. Capable of recovering from damage, but can acquire several peaks. No pruning is required; the crown forms naturally. Before the sap begins to flow, you can perform sanitary pruning by removing unnecessary branches.

For the garden and lawn decoration, you can purchase a dwarf variety of subalpine pine - compacta. This plant reaches a height of 1.5 m and has a wide conical crown. The paws are beautiful, thick, with beautiful gray-blue needles. To create a beautiful shape in the fall, you need to pluck out the central buds from the lateral shoots and shorten the branches in the summer. When planting, you must choose a place protected from direct sunlight.

Planting is carried out in early spring or late summer. It is necessary to carry out constant treatment against fungal diseases. Young seedlings need to be fed; adult pine trees do not need feeding. In case of severe drought, the number of waterings should be increased and sprinkling should be carried out.

A variety of decorative fir trees, photos of which are pleasing to the eye, will help create a cozy atmosphere in any garden. Coniferous trees are easy to care for, live a long time, and fill the air with a healthy aroma. And for the New Year you will always have your own, most beautiful tree.

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Korean fir is always green and lives for a very long time without additional pruning and crown formation. Belongs to the fir family and is native to the south of the Korean Peninsula. Hence its name. The shape of the plant resembles a pyramid (cone). The tree can even live up to 150 years.

You can find it in the Northern Hemisphere and South Korea. Its growth rate is much slower than that of spruce, with an average increase of 3-5 centimeters every year.

Description of the species: leaves in the form of flat needles, 1-2 centimeters long and 2-2.5 millimeters thick, shiny greenish in the upper part, and with two stripes of a bright white shade in the lower part, with a small number of teeth at the tip. Its cones can range from blue to purple. Their size, for the most part, is 4-7 centimeters in length and up to 2 centimeters in width.

It is very hardy and grows well in both sunny and shaded areas, but does best when exposed to direct sunlight as its crown becomes more attractive. Propagation by seeds and cuttings is acceptable.

Fir of this species grows up to 10-18 meters in height with a trunk diameter of up to 70 centimeters. Varieties of Korean fir for landscape design include several species that have the greatest lushness and excellent decorative properties throughout the calendar year.

Look at the photo at some varieties of Korean fir, which perfectly decorate garden plots in various areas:

Description and photos of Korean fir varieties

A brief description of the varieties of Korean fir allows you to make the right choice, and photos will illustrate the external aesthetic properties.

Korean fir “Brilliant” and “Silberlocke”.

Korean fir “Diamond” is a very valuable plant, as it is not an artificial, but a natural dwarf. The dwarf variety feels great in containers; this plant has a neat cushion-shaped crown.

Its needles are short, but have signs of density and softness. The needles are shiny, colored in the upper part with dark green or bright green, and in the lower part with white-blue or silvery longitudinal stripes. The needles of this variety of Korean fir are quite aromatized, the edges are curled towards the bottom and reach two centimeters in length.

This is a slow growing tree, growing three to four centimeters in length per year. And at 10 years old, the height is only 40 centimeters with a width of 60 centimeters. This dwarf plant can even live up to 300 years.

To plant it, it is advisable to choose semi-shaded or sunny places for it, but without wind. It is recommended to place young plants in partial shade and hide from the sun in spring and summer. It is better to choose slightly acidic soil for planting, with adequate drainage. Fir is quite cold-resistant. Temperatures of minus 29 degrees are not scary for her.

Korean fir "Silberlock" has a cone-shaped crown, often with several peaks. At the age of 10 years, the length grows to 120-180 centimeters. Its needles are curved, their lower part is white.

This is a slow-growing fir, as it has overly curved needles, which, if you look at it from afar, appear silvery. This is where this variety of fir got its name - “silberblocke” means “silver curl”. In some cases, the tree may appear to be covered in frost. The cones of this variety of Korean fir are purple, cone-shaped, 7 centimeters long.

Prefers acidic soil with a small amount of alkali. Loves light, but, in turn, is shade-tolerant. Cold-resistant plant. During snowy winter periods, due to snow sticking to the branches, they may break, so a holding frame should be installed.

Korean fir "Molli" and "Blue Magic"

Korean fir "Molly" can grow up to seven meters in length with a three-meter crown. Trees of this variety are covered in large quantities with cones. They have a blue-violet hue. Their length is 5 centimeters.

It grows quite slowly. Over the course of a year, he gains 6-7 centimeters, no more. The trunk is straight and even. The crown has a conical shape and does not require pruning, since it initially independently forms the correct shape. The needles of the plant are flat, but thick, have a bright green color with a bluish tint. The lower part of the needles is bluish-white. Its cones are large and blue-violet in color.

The plant feels much better in illuminated places and does not like sudden changes in ambient temperature. If it is in a dark place, the shoots begin to stretch out and the crown becomes loose.

Cold resistant. Needs moist soil with drainage.

Korean fir "Blue Magic" is a dense shrub that annually grows in length by 6-10 centimeters, and at 10 years its height is 1 meter with a width of 80 centimeters.

Crown in the shape of a pyramid. The needles are dark blue-green, the lower part is silver. The cones are purple. Prefers a semi-shaded place. The soil should be acidic or slightly acidic, moist and equipped with drainage. The place where it grows must be protected from the wind.

"Dark Hill", "Oberon" and other varieties

Korean fir "Dark Hill" prefers to be in direct sun or partial shade. The soil should be equipped with drainage, slightly acidic and moderately moist. Frost-resistant. In 10 years it reaches 40 centimeters. Crown diameter is 50-70 centimeters at the age of 10 years. Dwarf, shaped like a pillow, asymmetrical. The needles are hard, short, dark green in color, and shiny.

"Oberon" is a dwarf variety of Korean fir, its crown has the shape of a dome. The needles are bright green. At 10 years old, its height is approximately 40 centimeters with a width of 60 centimeters. Needs moist soil. It prefers a semi-shaded area at first, and then it is advisable to provide it with full lighting. Grows well in soils equipped with drainage, without excess moisture. The cones are small in size, but there are quite a lot of them, and they all grow vertically. The cones are thickly impregnated with resin; they appear in the first year.

It is advisable to plant in the ground in spring or autumn. To do this, it is initially recommended to dig a hole twice as large as the volume of the entire fir root system. You need to put compost at the bottom, and then place a pre-moistened ball of roots there so that it is level with the surface of the earth. Around the trunk you will need to make a small depression through which to water the seedling well so that the soil near the roots is sufficiently saturated with moisture. Finally, it is advisable to mulch the soil.

Korean fir "Doni Tajuso" prefers sunny or semi-shaded places. The soil must be equipped with drainage, slightly acidic and moist. Frost-resistant. At 10 years old, its height is a maximum of 30 centimeters. The crown diameter is about 30 centimeters at the age of 10 years. The shape of the crown resembles a pillow. The needles are not soft, short, light green in color, with shine.

"Ottostrasse" prefers a sunny or semi-shaded place; there are no special requirements for the soil; it is moderately moisture-loving and frost-resistant. It grows up to 50 centimeters in height. The crown is 120 centimeters in diameter, cone-shaped. Every year it grows by 3–5 centimeters. The needles are soft, short, in the upper part - bright green, shiny, in the lower part - two longitudinal silver stripes. The cones are arranged vertically, shaded, about seven centimeters long and up to two centimeters wide.

Korean fir "Select" prefers sunny or semi-shaded areas that are protected from the wind. Grows well in slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Grows up to 4 meters. The crown is up to three meters in diameter. It has the shape of a wide cone. It grows 10-20 centimeters per year. The needles are short, 2-3 centimeters in length, soft, the upper part is dark green and glossy, the lower part has two silver stripes. The cones are purple-blue, up to three centimeters long.

Korean fir "Cis" (Cis) loves sunny or semi-shaded places, is not demanding on the soil, and is cold-resistant. It reaches a height of 80 centimeters. The crown grows up to 120 centimeters in diameter, so it has the shape of a ball. Every year it grows by 3-5 centimeters. The needles are soft, the upper part is green, glossy, and the lower part has two silver stripes. The cones are violet-purple in color, 5-7 centimeters long and approximately 2 centimeters wide.

Korean fir "Kristallkugel" grows well in sunny or semi-shaded areas. It is not demanding on the soil and is frost-resistant. Its height is up to 50 centimeters, a dwarf. The crown can be 2 meters in diameter. The shape is pillow-shaped.

The needles are soft, the upper part is bright green, the lower part has two silver stripes. The cones are violet-purple in color, 5-7 centimeters long and approximately 2 centimeters wide.

Korean fir: the most popular varieties, features of planting and care

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Description of Korean fir

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The most popular varieties of Korean fir

​mountain pine​

• ​Fir reproduces by seeds, which are harvested at the beginning of cone ripening. You need to sow in autumn or spring. Under normal conditions, seeds are stored for up to one year. Reproduction is also possible by annual cuttings. The roots of the cuttings form after 8-9 months.
• The crown is cone-shaped, wide, low-growing, the branches are located horizontally. The bark is smooth, dark gray, and becomes cracked towards maturity. Young shoots are bare, almost very resinous. The branches are hard and covered with very hard, prickly needles of a silver-blue hue.

Most representatives have single needles, arranged spirally, due to the twisting of the petioles on the lateral branches, flat or comb-like in one plane. At the base, the leaves are expanded into a rounded disk, which retains a trace on the shoot after falling, sometimes slightly protruding.

​Korean fir is extremely frost-resistant ​When planting Korean firs, it is important to take into account the fact that this species grows very slowly.​​The cones are medium-sized, reach 70 mm in length, colored green-violet.​​The most popular varieties for cultivation among Russian amateurs and professional designers are the varieties​ ​Korean fir is widely used in decorative landscaping. Evergreen conifer Korean fir, belonging to the Abies family koreana Wils is widely used in decorative landscaping. This species is represented by a wide variety of varieties, thanks to which it can be used to create landscape compositions of any kind.​

​Blauer Eskimo​	​Kornik​	​(P. mugo). They do not take up much space, grow slowly and are perfect for small rockeries. These are varieties such as Picobello, Moppet, Little Delight.​	​Looks great with other large trees (pseudotsuga, pine, spruce, larch). Low-growing species are planted with low conifers and ground cover perennials.​	​Korean fir grows in the mountains on the Korean Peninsula at an altitude of 100-1900 m above sea level. This type of fir is distinguished by its rough bark. Its young yellowish shoots are covered with fine hairs. Then they acquire a red tint.​
The cones are cylindrical, sessile, ovoid, ripen in the first year and disintegrate in autumn or winter, releasing the seeds. The core of the cones remains on the branches for a long time. Along the upper edge are seed scales, cut off or broadly rounded, narrowed downward, with a wedge-shaped base, without a navel.	​You may also be interested in the article in which we talk about unpretentious conifers that you can grow on your own plot.​	​Therefore, it is important to provide an additional setback from the walls of buildings on the site, so that after several decades the crown does not “rest” against the wall and suffer from lack of light. Depending on the planting plan, Korean firs are planted at a distance of 5 m (to form even and regular shaped crowns) or 2 m (to create a dense hedge in the future) from each other.​	​Prefers bright places, withstands frosts well, but can break due to snow adhering to the branches. It likes soils that are acidic, loose and moisture-absorbing, with a high content of humus components. Used in single plantings, Japanese gardens and rockeries.​	​Diamond, Molly, Silberlock, Blue Emperor​
​In nature, Korean fir is found in the Northern Hemisphere in the temperate climate zone.​	​, as the name suggests, has a bright blue needle color; it is often offered in the form of a standard form, which, frankly speaking, is of little interest to our gardeners due to the poor resistance of such forms to snowfalls and spring burns. Therefore, it is better to look for either a low standard (no more than 20 cm in height) or a cushion shape.​	- a variety with sharply rising young shoots.	Pay attention to compact varieties that are quite winter-hardy	​Talking about new products in the world of coniferous plants is not easy, because most often the market offers gardeners varieties that are already decades old.​
​Korean fir is filled with charm. Already in her youth she begins to bear fruit in abundance. Excellent upward-pointing violet-purple cones against the background of green needles give the tree an amazing appearance. Due to its decorative properties, Korean fir is widely cultivated throughout the world.​	​The seeds are triangular-wedge-shaped or obovate-wedge-shaped, with resin cavities, very difficult to separate from the wing surrounding the seed; fan-shaped or rectangular wing.	​Among the main advantages of the plant, reviews of Korean fir mention extremely high frost resistance and slow growth, due to which the compositions on the site do not require annual correction of winter “surprises”. The lack of need for pruning is also appreciated by gardeners, because even with the complete absence of external influence on the shape, Korean fir grows absolutely symmetrical and even (with the exception of dwarf shrub species). Among the disadvantages of Korean fir, susceptibility to aphid attack is mentioned. However, this problem, according to gardeners, can be easily solved with the help of insecticides.​	​The time for planting Korean fir in open ground is the beginning of spring before the formation of young buds and shoots on the seedlings.​	​Molly​
​and​	​It is considered one of the longest-living plants.​	​Variety​	​Krejci​	​Pyrenean pine​
​Let’s immediately define the terminology. We will talk about conifers, not conifers. Professionals call only plants of the genus Ephedra conifers, and not pine trees, spruce trees, fir trees, larches, junipers, thujas and some other species.​	​Its high quality wood is used for the pulp and paper industry.​	​The fir begins to bloom in the 60-65th year of life, earlier in an open place. Male fir cones are located on the top of last year's shoots, female cones are red-violet or green, vertically erect, located singly in the upper part of the crown near the ends of last year's shoots. The fir grows very slowly for the first ten years, then picks up speed. The maximum age of fir is about 300-500 years.​	​Judging by the numerous reviews of gardeners who have already become owners of Korean fir, this plant fits perfectly into any landscape. Thanks to the variety of forms and unpretentiousness, trees and shrubs belonging to this species have won the love of many. Having planted it on your site, you can forget for many years about the need to decorate it with something else.​	​The ideal age of planting material is from 4 to 10 years. Younger plants may die due to too much light or frost, while older plants take root less well in a new place.​

The crown is conical, up to 3 m in diameter, maximum plant height is 7 m.

Landing Features

​Compact​​Some specimens in natural conditions reach the age of 400 years.​

​Ice Breaker​- this is generally a very strange plant in appearance, but capable of bringing the effect of some kind of alien miracle to the garden.

​, or hooked (P. uncinata), which have only recently appeared on the market. These are Braska, Jezek, Offenpass, Rusalka, Maja, Paradekissen. They are from both Western European and Polish nurseries.​

Almost everything that we might consider new when visiting an exhibition or sale has long been described and discovered in nature or in large nurseries, where specialists tirelessly search for forms that are promising for mass production. Therefore, the concept of something new in the world of conifers is very, very conditional. After all, a new variety of pine, spruce or fir for a gardener could have been described and found in reference books and encyclopedias for 20 - 30 years before it became available for purchase.​​ A tree with a narrow pyramidal crown, with slightly raised branches and a straight trunk. The bark of the trunk is gray, smooth, with small elliptical marks from flying branches and cracks. Fir is a very decorative forest species that not only produces construction timber, but is also common in landscape construction. Fir is very decorative and takes root well outside its natural habitat. Fir balsam and valuable resins are obtained from the bark of some types of fir, fir oil is obtained from branches and needles, and fir paws are also valued. Essential oil is made from them. In addition to essential oil, the foot contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and is also a raw material for its production.​

The pine family includes many different evergreen genera and species of trees that delight our eyes all winter long. Among them is fir - a cone-shaped, slender plant with fragrant two-color needles and lush, sloping branches.​

​Silberlock fir is used in single plantings, Japanese gardens and rockeries​ The needles are bright green, bluish-gray on the bottom, very thick.

​(the second name of this fir is Compacta Dwarf).​

Rules of care

A distinctive feature of this type of fir is its slow growth.

1. With beautiful needles turned inside out, exposing the white stripes of its lower part, it is extremely bright and exotic. In the form of an eye-catching white and green pillow, it can look great in a rock garden.​
2. ​LittleBogle​
3. ​Prickly spruce, or
4. ​The greatest interest for Russian gardeners now is the new species of pine trees that have appeared on sale. First of all, it is pine

​Young shoots are yellow-green, pubescent, then become brownish-brown and bare. Its buds do not contain resin and are pubescent. Caucasian fir is wind-resistant due to its developed root system.​

​It is one of the main forest-forming species in North America, where it grows in the coniferous zone. In the mountains, balsam fir rises to the forest line, but most often grows in lowlands and near drains along with species of thuja, hemlock, spruce, pine, and hardwoods.​

​Most fir trees are distributed in the subtropics and temperate climate zones. Only Siberian and balsam grow further north and withstand more severe conditions with low temperatures. In some species, the lower branches are very low and can even take root in the ground.​

Reviews from gardeners

​Korean fir is undemanding in terms of soil nutrition and moisture, but for good development it is more suitable for acidic soils with a high humus content.​

Conifers: choice for the garden (video)

The cones are violet-blue, numerous, up to 5 cm long.

Fir. Photo and description

​Variety name​

​It is thanks to him that the tree looks very dense and fluffy.​

​Third grade -​

- rather a bonsai-like form of larch. It belongs in a garden with oriental motifs or in a luxurious rock garden.​

​blue​

​Banks​
​Demanding on air humidity, loves fresh, loam with an admixture of black soil. However, it can grow on calcareous soils. This type of fir is durable, lives up to 500-800 years.​

​The height of the tree is about 15-25 m and the diameter of the trunk is 0.8 m. Balsam fir is a very decorative species, thanks to the large number of young dark purple cones.​

​Large fir cones are directed upward, they sometimes have a very interesting color, decorate the plant in summer and autumn, and fly away in winter. The bark of young plants is usually smooth and only with age acquires scales or cracks.​

Description of fir

It is important to avoid wetlands when planting, although fir has a positive attitude towards the presence of peat in the soil. It prefers well-lit places, sheltered from the winds. Needs drainage and good moisture. Looks good in single plantings. Crown shape, plant height

​The trunk of the Korean fir is smooth and can reach 40 cm in diameter, however, in varietal plants grown in private plots, the trunk rarely reaches a diameter of 27 cm.​

The dwarf forms of larch are very interesting

​(Picea pungens) is native to the western United States. It has been grown in Russia for a long time, but I would like gardeners to learn to understand the huge number of its varieties and start choosing the most beautiful ones: Baby Blue Eyes, Copeland, Edith, Fat Albert, Montgomery, Wendy.​

​(Pinus banksiana) - extremely resilient and frost-resistant, from the taiga region of Canada. This species is distinguished by shortened but dense needles and a peculiar arrangement of branches. Young specimens resemble molded pine trees from Japanese gardens. They grow slowly and do not provide dense shade - in general, this is a godsend for practicing designers. Banks pine has the following low grades: Chippewa and Schoodic.​

​The native fir is North America. Plantings of this species are usually located on shady slopes, as well as along rivers. A large tree with a cone-shaped crown.​

​The cones are gray-brown, oval-cylindrical, very resinous, from 5 to 10 cm long and 2 cm thick. They crumble in October.​

Types and varieties of fir

Balsam fir

Some types of fir have a very interesting color, silver-gray or bluish. They can serve as excellent ornamental plants in estates and parks. They also decorate the alleys. Most of these plants can be frost sensitive, but most often when they are young. Adult plants are already more resistant in this regard.​

​If there is a possibility of flooding, it is necessary to arrange good drainage.​

​Compacta​

Appearance of needles

White fir (European)

​There are also varieties of Korean fir with an unpronounced central trunk (trunk).​

- a good find for a garden designer; it has a dense, beautiful texture of green crown and small annual growth, which will allow you to plan the decorative appearance of the composition for many years.​

​Kaempfer​

Great fir

​In addition to the high varieties of this species, there are also a huge number of low and cushion-shaped ones: Glauca Procumbens, Early Cones, Blue Pearl, Centrys Gem, Blue Horizon, Benno, Lucky Strike, Lundebys Dwarf, Nimetz.​

​Very promising for us​

Fir Vicha

​The branches are arranged horizontally. The height of the tree is about 35-50 m, the diameter of the trunk is 1.5 m. The needles are narrow, soft, about 5-8 m long, and smell of lemon. On both sides it is matte bluish green.​

The seeds are brown with a purple tint, their size is 5-8 mm. This type of fir begins to bear fruit at 20-30 years of age. This type of fir is shade-tolerant. Prefers loamy, moist soils. Lives about 150-200 years.​

Fir is rarely used in construction and for making furniture, more often in the pulp and paper industry. The resin of this tree is used for medicinal purposes, in the manufacture of soap and other perfumery products, and household chemicals. Fir also supplies us with camphor and varnishes.​

Spanish fir

The depth of the planting pit for fir trees is 50-80 cm, depending on the type of plant. The more massive its crown and the larger its roots, the deeper and wider the hole needs to be made. It is important to carefully straighten the roots of the fir and not to deepen the root collar. Otherwise, the tree will stop growing and may completely die within 3-4 years.​

The crown is symmetrical and compact, no more than 80 cm high. The maximum growth per year is 5-7 cm.

Korean fir

​Appearance of the cones​

​Such plants have the appearance of a cushion-shaped bush.​

​The following varieties of Korean fir are also interesting: spherical Crystal Hugel, narrow-conical Gait, golden Golden Dream, ground cover Green Carpet, Oberon, Silverperl, Silver Show, Tundra, Schneestern.​

Nordmann fir (Caucasian)

​(L. kaempferi), distinguished from other species, as you probably know, by beautiful blue needles. Pay attention to the following varieties: Bambino, Blue Dwarf, Blue Croc, Madurodam, Blue Rabbit. It’s not scary to experiment with larches, including standard forms of all the varieties mentioned - as mentioned above, they are very reliable in our conditions.​

​Of the real discoveries for the Russian garden, I would like to mention the variety of common spruce (P. abies)​

​pine twisted

Fir one color

​Bears fruit every 3 years. The cones are dark purple, oval-cylindrical, about 8-15 cm long. It grows very slowly, at 5 years its height reaches 1 meter, and at 10 years 2 meters. Grows well in sandy, dry soils.​

​ This type of fir grows at an altitude of about 350-1500 m above sea level, forms pure forests, and also mixed with spruce and beech. The tree is about 30-60 m high, the trunk is up to 2 m in diameter. The needles are blunt, flat, shiny, dark green above, with white stripes below, about 2-3 cm long. It stays on the shoots for 6-9 years. ​

​You can sew a broken twig into a pillow and fall asleep under a pleasant pine aroma. Or use it to scare away moths in the closet. And if you have radiculitis or a cold, you can take

​Things are a little simpler with planting Korean fir in containers.​

Equal scale fir

The needles are dense and long (up to 4 cm), blue in color.

​Preferred growing conditions​

In most cases, the crown of Korean fir is a cone or pyramid. Moreover, the color of the plant depends not only on the varietal characteristics, but also on the age of the tree. Young specimens are colored light yellow or light green. As the needles mature, or rather, the succulent-like leaf blades, they acquire emerald, bluish-green or rich green shades, often with a whitish or silvery coating on the bottom of the needles.​

Subalpine fir

​Arizona fir​

​White fir​

Location

​(P. contorta). Its varieties are known: Frisian Gold and Taylors Sunburst.​

Fir propagation

This fir is very decorative. Forms with silvery and bluish needles, which decorate any garden plot, are especially popular among gardeners.

Partners

​Female cones are green, single, vertical, formed close to the ends of last year's shoots, male cones are purple or yellow, sitting alone in the axils of the needles of last year's shoots. White fir does not tolerate dry and swampy soil. Likes to grow in moist, fertile soils. The tree lives up to 300-400 years.​

flo.discus-club.ru

Review of new varieties of pine, spruce, larch and fir

​fir baths.​

​The soil for low-growing bush-like varieties is prepared based on general rules. The bottom of the flowerpot or container is equipped with drainage from shards, and the top is covered with soil. The roots of the shrub fir also need to be well straightened, and then covered with the remaining soil flush with the root collar.​

Cones are formed extremely rarely on this variety.

Pines

​Brilliant (diamond)​ Due to its slow growth, fir looks like a very dense and fluffy tree.​(A. lasiocarpa) is native to the highlands of western North America. By nature it has bright bluish needles, which protects it in its homeland from excessive sunlight. Therefore, it is quite resistant to sunburn. This type of fir is frost-resistant in central Russia, but after 15 - 20 years the lower part of the trunk becomes exposed, which should be immediately taken into account when placing the seedling. They mainly use the Compacta variety, but it would be worth planting new cultivars such as Duflon, Lopalpun, Green Globe, Prikly Pete, Utah. Finding them in European nurseries is not easy, but they are worth it.​

​(Abies alba) - European species. Fairly frost-resistant fir, but prone to spring scorching. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to its dwarf varieties, which can be shaded in case of unfavorable spring weather: Bystricka, Hana Balatka, Hedge Franz.​​. This is an excellent creeping ground cover variety that will perfectly decorate any retaining wall or slope and not only decorate imperfections in the relief, but also strengthen the slope. Yes, and he looks stunning. Of the new interesting dwarf Christmas trees of this species, you should definitely pay attention to the varieties Hasin, Hiiumaa, Hocksteins Iseli, Klucinicece, Ziecice Balatka, Dumpy. All of them are stable in central Russia and practically do not burn in the spring sun.​ ​Very interesting to test in our conditions​

​ Under natural conditions, equal scale fir grows in the central regions of Japan. The tree is about 25-40 meters high, crown diameter is 1-5 meters. The crown is pyramidal, with smooth brown or gray branches. The wood of this fir is white, without resin ducts, very resistant to rot, it dries, saws, splits, planes and veneers well, thanks to which it is widely used in construction. The genus numbers approximately 50 species common in temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere.​

​Blue Emperor fir prefers slightly shaded places and nutritious, moist soils with drainage​​Prefers bright places with sandy or loamy soil filled with humus. Excellent for planting in a container, as well as for growing in rock gardens, coastal areas of reservoirs and for walking areas.​ ​A natural dwarf with a cushion-shaped crown with a diameter of no more than 70 cm. The maximum plant height is 50 cm.​

​Fruits with seeds, or simply cones, grow vertically upward on Korean fir, which is why they are often compared to candles. On young trees they are colored dark purple or bluish-green (depending on the variety), on adults they are brown-gray or gray-green. During growth, the segments of the cones are tightly closed, and at the moment of ripening they open and the seeds spill out.​ ​Siberian fir​ Balsam fir

Russian gardeners will also be interested in the bluish cushion ​Bunge pine​ The needles are about 3 cm long and about 1-3 cm wide, bluish in color below and dark green above.

Ate

Great fir grows naturally on the Pacific coast of North America. The crown of this type of fir is cone-shaped, in open areas it may start from the ground. The bark is thin, dark brown, with age its thickness becomes 6-8 cm and begins to crack. Under natural conditions, fir grows in the mountainous zones of the temperate and subtropical zones of Eastern and Central Europe, the Far East, Siberia, East and Central Asia (China , Japan, Korea Peninsula, Himalayas), North America and North Africa. Regardless of whether Korean fir grows in open ground or in a container, it is important to follow the general rules for caring for this plant:

​Blue Emperor​

The needles are thick, rich dark green in color, the reverse side is bluish or silver-green with longitudinal stripes. The needles are soft, with curled edges, no more than 2 cm long. In any phase, be it winter dormancy or active growth in the summer, representatives of Korean fir trees look very picturesque. They go well with flower and decorative foliage crops, fruit trees and shrubs. Even planted in a rocky garden or on a completely flat lawn, they are able to add a certain zest to the landscape of the site. (A. sibirica). For the first time in many years, the Liptovsky Pradek variety, the most stable and reliable fir in the conditions of the middle zone, appeared on the market.​

​(A. balsamea) - very frost-resistant and stable in central Russia, but grows quite slowly. We recommend using not only the popular varieties Nana and Piccolo, but also the compact Cuprona Jewel, blue Tyler Blue, golden Eugene Gold, almost blue Kiwi, and white-tipped Old Ridge.​ ​marriorica spruce​(P. bungeana) with an amazing colorful openwork crown. According to some reports, it should withstand the climate of central Russia. She also has compact, low varieties.​

larches

​Male cones are 7 mm wide, 1.5 cm long, and ovoid in shape. Female cones are dark purple and cylindrical. The cones are brown, 3 cm wide and 10 cm long. Lives for about 300 years.​

​Despite its decorative value, great fir is used very rarely in landscaping due to the requirements for growing conditions and climate. The tree is from 35 to 90 m high and has a trunk diameter of 70-120 cm. The shape of the needles is dark green and has a tetrahedral shape. Prefers moderately moist, fertile soils. Life expectancy is about 250-300 years. In the Western Hemisphere, fir is distributed from Alaska to Guatemala and from Labrador to the mountainous regions of North Carolina. Fir mainly grows in cool, humid climates. The tallest tree in Russia is the fir (​ ​Young firs need shading and shelter from frost in the first years after planting.​

The compact and very dense crown does not have a pronounced central trunk, which is why the shape of the plant resembles an elongated pillow. The maximum height of this variety is 1.5 m. The average annual growth is 6 cm.​ ​There are no cones.​

​In landscape design, many varieties of Korean fir are used, which can be roughly classified into two groups:​ ​Caucasian fir​

​Fir one color​(P. mariorika) cultivar Machala. This is a hybrid of Serbian spruce and black spruce. And for its parent Serbian spruce (R. Otopka), it is worth paying attention to dwarf varieties such as Pimoko, Peve Tijn.​

​Unfortunately, even people who consider themselves professional garden designers rarely use the very resilient and fabulously beautiful pine​​Grows in the mountains of North America. Fir is best cultivated in areas with a humid, warm climate. It is a valuable ornamental species, used in landscape design. Vicha fir grows naturally in the mountains of Japan, forming mixed or pure stands with other types of fir and spruce at an altitude of about 1300-1900 m above sea level. It is a slender tree with a pyramidal crown. It grows very quickly, at the age of 30 it reaches more than 10 meters in height.​

Fir

​Caucasian fir​ Young plants and those grown in containers especially need watering. It is important to carry out moisture recharging every 10-15 days. Adult plants can be watered 2-3 times per season. In particularly dry years, you can increase the number of waterings to 2 times a month.​

The needles are short and thick, soft to the touch. The upper part of the needles is violet-silver or intense blue, the lower part is white. Prefers areas protected from the wind. Demanding of light, but tolerates light shading. The soil for this variety should be slightly acidic, air and water permeable, loose and fertile. One of the best varieties for growing in a container. Suitable for rocky gardens, mixed borders and ridges.​

​tall firs with a pyramidal or cone-shaped crown;​​, or Nordmann (A. nordmanniana) can be used in gardens of central Russia only in the form of dwarf cushion varieties that winter under the snow (Petra, Jakobsen). Large specimens, unfortunately, both burn and freeze.​

​(A. concolor) is one of the most famous species for our gardeners. Her new varieties Blue Sapphire and Kalous are attractive. Both are cushion-shaped. The first has a rich blue color of the needles, the second is rather whitish-silver. In the garden they will look harmonious in the foreground of well-lit compositions of coniferous plants and shrubs. Among other varieties, it would be worth paying attention to the compact Birthday Broom, Conica Witch Broom, Gables Weeping, La Veta and Piggelmee.​ ​Larch (Larix) is one of the most reliable coniferous plants for the middle zone. Unfortunately, most Russian gardeners know them either as huge trees that cover everything around with falling needles in the fall, or they know only individual weeping forms. However, in fact, the modern range of larches does not end there.​

​Rumelian​​Looks very impressive in group and single plantings. The needles are matte blue-green above, with white stripes below. Stays on shoots for 9 years. Lives for about 300 years.​ ​The needles are soft, about 2.5 cm in length, dark green, shiny on top, with white stripes below. In windy weather this gives the tree a silvery-white hue.​

​).​​Korean fir begins to need fertilizing 3-4 years after planting. It is better to fertilize them with complexes for conifers (no more than 100-130 g of fertilizer per square meter).​ ​The cones are small, dark blue or purple.​

​Silberlocke (Silberlock)​ ​Low-growing fir with a crown in the shape of an irregular flattened ball or pillow.​​Landscaping your home and garden plot with coniferous plants not only improves the condition of the air environment (purifying the air from exhaust gases, smoke, dust and other harmful substances), delivering aesthetic pleasure, but also preserves youth if you add pine needles to tea. And if you also create compositions of conifers with your own hands, it brings doubly joy and pleasure. Benches, flowerpots, decorative fences, colorful flower pots, wicker fences, forged lanterns, glowing light bulbs - all this creates a cozy, fairy-tale atmosphere in the garden.​

​Korean fir​

​Varieties​​, or Macedonian (R. reuse). Its blue form is very curious, which can outshine almost all other pines in beauty - this is truly a good discovery in recent years. There is also a low grade Arnold Dwarf.​

Firs are shade-tolerant, but develop best in good light. Wind resistant. Demanding on air humidity. Very sensitive to air pollution by gases and smoke.​ ​The cones are about 7 cm long, violet-purple when young, brown when mature, broad-cylindrical scales, about 6-7 cm long. Seeds with a short wing, yellowish. Likes to grow in fertile soils. Lives about 200-300 years.​

Fir is a powerful monoecious, evergreen tree with a cone-shaped crown. Fir has a powerful root system, taprooted, going deep into the soil. Fir has resinous buds or no resin at all. There are two types of needles. Korean fir grows best on soil mulched with semi-rotted sawdust or pine needles (previously disinfected and steamed). This prevents the growth of weeds and makes the soil more permeable to moisture and air.​

​Prefers slightly shaded areas and nutritious, moist soils with drainage. One of the best varieties for planting in rock gardens and oriental gardens.​

The crown is cone-shaped, often without a pronounced main trunk. It grows slowly, the annual growth is about 12 cm.​

The genus fir (Abies) belongs to the pine family. In Russia, the name of such a plant comes from the German word “Fichte”, which means “spruce”. Under natural conditions, fir can be found in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, as well as in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Often, fir prefers to grow in coniferous forests, adjacent to pine, cedar or spruce. And such a tree can also be found in mixed and sometimes in deciduous forests. This genus unites approximately 50 species of various plants, among which there are half-meter shrubs and trees, the height of which can reach 80 meters. At the moment, decorative fir is very popular, decorating squares and parks, as well as garden plots. Before you start planting fir, you should learn about its disadvantages, namely: low frost resistance, as well as intolerance to gas, smoke and excessively dry air.

Features of fir

Fir is an evergreen monoecious plant that loves warmth and is shade-tolerant. A powerful core root system goes deep into the soil. The bark of a young tree is smooth and thin; over the years it cracks and becomes thicker. The crown has a cone-shaped shape, and it starts directly from the base of the trunk, which distinguishes fir from other coniferous trees. The location of the branches is ring-horizontal. The leaves are entire-edged, flat, non-rigid needles that taper at the base into a short petiole. In winter, the needles of most conifers turn dirty red, but not fir. On the lower surface of each needle there are 2 white stripes. The needles on the reproductive shoots are pointed, while on the vegetative branches they are slightly notched or have a rounded tip. The appearance of male flowers resembles cone earrings. In this case, female flowers have a cylindrical, ovoid or cylindrical-ovoid shape. Unlike other coniferous trees, fir cones point upward and do not hang down. The composition of female cones includes a rod with covering scales sitting on it, and inside them there are fruit scales that bear a pair of ovules. Pollination of this plant is carried out by the wind. After the seeds ripen, the cones become woody and the scales fall off. In this case, the winged seeds are released, and only the rods remain on the fir itself. Fir can be grown in the same place for 300 years.

Planting fir in open ground

What time to plant

Only those seedlings that are 4 years old or older are planted in open soil. Planting can be done in April, but it is better to do this in the last days of August or the first days of September. It is recommended to plant fir on a cloudy day. A suitable place for planting should be located in partial shade or shade. The soil should be fertile, moist, well-drained and preferably loam. It is very good if there is a pond located a short distance from the landing site.

How to plant

The planting hole should be prepared half a month before the planting day. Its approximate dimensions are 60x60x60 centimeters, and the final size will directly depend on the dimensions of the seedling root system itself. Pour 20–30 liters of water into the prepared hole. After all the liquid has been absorbed, the bottom of the hole must be dug up with half the bayonet of a shovel, and then a layer of broken brick or crushed stone, the thickness of which should be from 5 to 6 centimeters, is placed in it. Then ½ of the hole is filled with an earth mixture consisting of clay, humus, peat and sand (2:3:1:1), into which you need to add 200 to 300 grams of nitrophoska and 10 kilograms of sawdust. After a couple of weeks, the soil in the hole should have settled, after which you can begin directly planting the seedling. The root system of the plant is placed in such a way that its root collar is flush with the surface of the earth. It is best to install the root system on an earthen mound. After the roots are straightened, the hole will need to be filled with earth mixture (the composition is described above) and everything will need to be compacted well. The planted plant must be watered. If you are planting a fir alley, the distance between seedlings should be from 4 to 5 meters. When planting in groups, the distance between plants should be from 3 to 3.5 meters - for loose groups and 2.5 meters - for dense groups.

Fir care in the garden

After each watering, loosening the soil no more than 10–12 centimeters deep is required, and weeds must be removed. In young trees, it is recommended to sprinkle a circle around the trunk with a diameter of half a meter with mulch (sawdust, wood chips or peat). The mulch layer should vary from 5 to 8 centimeters. At the same time, make sure that the root collar of the plant is free of mulch. The planted fir will need to be fed only after 2-3 years; this should be done in the spring, adding 100 to 125 grams of Kemira-universal to the soil around the trunk. Only moisture-loving fir species require watering. For example, balsam fir needs to be watered 2 or 3 times throughout the entire season, but only during drought. For one watering, you need to pour 1.5–2 buckets under each tree. Other species do not need to be watered, as they react extremely negatively to waterlogging, and natural precipitation is sufficient for them.

Trimming

Pruning is done in the spring before sap flow begins, and all dry and damaged branches must be removed. And at this time, if necessary, you can start shaping the crown. Garden shears are used for pruning. It should be remembered that during one haircut you can shorten the stem by no more than 1/3. As a rule, the crown of such a tree is very neat and does not require shaping.

Transfer

Coniferous trees, when compared with other plants, tolerate replanting quite well and quickly take root in a new location. If a young plant is being transplanted, then it is necessary to dig the soil in a circle, stepping back from the trunk from 0.3 to 0.4 meters, using a sharp shovel for this. Then, with the same shovel, you need to pry off the marked circle, plunging it into the soil to the depth of a bayonet. The fir is removed along with a lump of earth and transported by wheelbarrow to a new planting site, while it should be placed very carefully in the planting hole.

If the fir is already grown, then before starting replanting, it is prepared. To do this, the soil is pierced in a circle 12 months before the intended transplant, while it is necessary to retreat more from the trunk than in the first case. Over the course of a year, the tree inside the designated circle will grow young roots, which will allow it to easily undergo replanting. You should immediately take into account that one person may not be able to cope with transplanting a grown fir, so find yourself an assistant in advance. It is very important to prevent the earthen ball from collapsing during transplantation.

Pests and diseases

There is nothing complicated about planting and growing fir. This plant is also characterized by fairly high resistance to diseases and harmful insects. However, sometimes it can begin to turn yellow due to the fact that hermes (a type of aphid) settle on it. To destroy such pests, Antio or Rogor are used. At the beginning of spring, female Hermes awaken, and it is at this time that the plant must be treated with a solution of one of these products, with 20 grams of the drug per bucket of water. Also, these drugs will help get rid of pests such as fir pine budworm and fir shoot moth.

In some cases, the needles of this tree begin to turn yellow, and rusty cushions appear on the stems. This indicates that the fir is infected with a fungal disease such as rust. Infected branches need to be cut off and destroyed, as well as the needles that have fallen, then the cut areas are treated using garden varnish. The crown should also be treated and for this purpose a solution of Bordeaux mixture (2%) is used. Take a good look at the area where the fir grows; if there is chickweed or chickweed on it, then these plants must be dug up and destroyed.

Fir propagation

If the fir is a species, then a generative method (seed) is used for its propagation, and seeds are harvested as soon as the cones begin to ripen. To propagate decorative fir, the cutting method is used.

Fir propagation by cuttings

The length of the cuttings should be from 5 to 8 centimeters. They should be cut only from young trees, and only annual shoots that have only one (not two!) apical bud are used. Also, the cutting must be taken with a heel; for this it is recommended not to cut it, but to tear it off with a sharp movement, in this case a piece of bark and wood of a more mature shoot should come off. Cuttings are harvested in the spring, choosing a cloudy morning for this. You need to take them from the middle part of the crown on its northern side.

Before planting the cutting for rooting, all burrs should be carefully removed from the heel. Also carefully inspect the bark; it should not peel off from the wood. For preventive purposes, the cuttings will need to be treated against fungal diseases. To do this, they are immersed for 6 hours in a 2% solution of foundationazole or captan, and you can also use a dark pink solution of potassium manganese. Afterwards, the cuttings are planted in an earth mixture consisting of humus, sand and leaf soil (1:1:1). The planting is covered with a cap, which should be transparent. To speed up the rooting process, it is recommended to provide bottom heating of the soil; its temperature should exceed room temperature by 2–3 degrees. Place the cuttings in a well-lit place, protected from direct sunlight, and they must be ventilated every day. For wintering, the cuttings should be moved to the basement, and in the spring they are taken outside. Rooting such cuttings is a relatively lengthy process. So, at the very beginning, callus grows, and only in the second year do roots form.

Growing fir from seeds

Collecting fir seeds is not an easy task. The fact is that in adult specimens the ripening cones are located relatively high, and the still ripened winged seeds scatter almost immediately. In order to extract the seeds, you need to pick a slightly unripe cone, which is dried and only after that the seeds are extracted. Such seeds need stratification; for this, immediately after collection they are placed in a basement with high air humidity or on a refrigerator shelf. Seeds are sown in open soil in a prepared bed of turf and sand in April, and they only need to be buried a couple of centimeters into the soil. The crops are not watered, but immediately covered with a transparent film; in this case, a crust does not form on the surface of the soil, and seedlings will appear much faster. The first seedlings should appear after 20–30 days. From this time on, you need to start watering them, weeding them and loosening the soil surface. In order for the seedlings to survive the first winter, they should be covered with spruce branches. The very next year you can start transplanting young seedlings to a permanent place. A seedling obtained from a seed is initially characterized by extremely slow growth, because first the root system is built up. Thus, a four-year-old fir can reach only 0.3 to 0.4 meters in height. However, older plants grow much faster.

Fir in winter

Preparing for winter

Those firs that experts advise to cultivate in the middle zone are distinguished by fairly high frost resistance. But young specimens still need to be covered with spruce branches, while the surface of the trunk circle must be covered with a layer of mulch (dried leaves or peat), the thickness of which should be from 10 to 12 centimeters.

Wintering at the dacha

Mature firs are able to withstand winter well without shelter. But in the last days of winter, it is recommended to protect them from the overly active spring sun; for this, the plants are covered with non-woven material.

Types and varieties of fir with photos and names

There are quite a large number of species and varieties of fir, but not all of them are popular with gardeners. Below we will describe those that are more or less in demand in culture.

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)

Under natural conditions, such fir can be found in the United States and Canada, while its habitat in the north is limited to the tundra. In mountainous areas, such a tree can be seen growing at an altitude of 1.5–2 thousand meters. This frost-resistant, shade-loving plant does not live very long, only about two hundred years. The height of such a plant can vary from 15 to 25 meters, and its trunk reaches 0.5–0.7 meters in thickness. Young firs are covered with gray-ashy smooth bark. Old trees have cracked brownish-reddish bark. Resinous pale green buds have a light purple hue and are spherical or ovoid in shape. The dark green glossy needles can reach 1.5–3 centimeters in length; stomatal lines run along their entire surface. The needles may be slightly notched at the top or blunt; they die off after 4–7 years. If you grind them, you can smell a pleasant aroma. The height of the oval-cylindrical cones can vary from 5 to 10 centimeters, and their width is 2–2.5 centimeters. Unripe cones are dark purple in color, which changes to brown after ripening. Mature buds are highly resinous. This species has been cultivated since 1697. This fir is planted singly or used in small group plantings. The most popular forms are:

1. Hudsonia. This mountain dwarf plant has very dense branches, a wide crown and many short stems. The short needles are wide and flat in shape, their front surface is green-black, and their back surface is bluish-green. Cultivated since 1810
2. Nana. The height of the tree does not exceed half a meter, the diameter of the rounded crown is about 250 centimeters. Dense spreading branches are located horizontally. The short, lush needles are dark green, with 2 bluish-white stripes on its lower greenish-yellow surface. Cultivated since 1850. This plant is perfect for landscaping roofs, terraces, and rocky gardens.

The following forms of this type are also cultivated: gray fir, variegated, dwarf, silver, columnar, and also prostrate.

Korean fir (Abies koreana)

In nature, this species can be found in the mountains of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula at an altitude of 1.8 thousand meters. These fir trees create pure and mixed forests. Young firs grow very slowly. However, in older specimens, the growth rate becomes faster over the years. Such a tree can reach a height of 15 meters, with a trunk diameter varying from 0.5 to 0.8 meters. The crown shape is cone-shaped. Young specimens are covered with smooth, ash-colored bark, in some cases with a purple tint. Old specimens have chestnut bark with deep cracks. Almost round buds are only slightly resinous. Lush needles are quite tough. Each needle is saber-shaped and has a notch at its top. The upper surface of the needles is dark green in color, and the lower surface is silver (due to 2 very wide stomatal stripes). The length of the cylindrical cones is about 5–7 centimeters, and they can reach 3 centimeters in diameter. Young cones are colored lilac-purple. This plant was brought to European countries only in 1905. This species is distinguished by its very high decorative value due to its two-color needles, as well as its winter hardiness. This article describes the planting and care of this particular type of fir. Varieties:

1. Blue Standard. It differs from the original species only in the dark purple color of the cones.
2. Brevifolia. This cultivar is characterized by extremely slow growth and a dense, rounded crown. The needles are not as dense as the original species, its upper surface is painted swamp green, and the lower surface is grayish-white. The color of the small cones is purple.
3. Piccolo. The tree can reach only 0.3 m in height. In an adult specimen, the diameter of the spreading horizontal crown can reach up to 50 centimeters. The needles are the same as those of the main species.

Caucasian fir, or Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana)

This species is considered a Caucasian endemic, because in nature it can only be found in the Caucasus Mountains. This plant can reach a height of 60 meters, and the trunk is about 200 centimeters thick. The low branched lush crown has a narrow conical shape. The top of the crown is sharp, but in sufficiently mature specimens this is not too pronounced. The trees are covered with glossy, smooth bark, but after the plant turns 80 years old, deep cracks form on it. The ovoid buds have virtually no resin. The length of the needles is about 4 centimeters, and its width is approximately 0.25 centimeters, its upper surface is painted dark green, and on the bottom there are 2 stripes of white color. On cone-bearing shoots, the tips of the needles are softly pointed, and on vegetative shoots there is a notch at the tips. The cones reach 20 centimeters in length and 5 centimeters in diameter. Young cones are green, while old ones are resinous dark brown. This species is fast-growing, and such a plant can live for about 500 years. Forms of Caucasian fir: weeping, golden-tipped, gray, erect, golden and white-tipped.

Single color fir (Abies concolor)

Such a fir is considered the queen among representatives of the fir genus. Under natural conditions, it can be found in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. This tree prefers to grow in river canyons, as well as on mountain slopes at an altitude of 2 to 3 thousand meters above sea level. This species is very resistant to drought, and such a tree can live for about 350 years. Its height can vary from 40 to 60 meters, and the thickness of the trunk reaches 200 centimeters. The cone-shaped crown of a young tree is very lush, but as it ages, it thins out significantly. The color of the bark on older specimens is ash-gray, and it is very rough and cracked. The green-yellow resinous buds are spherical in shape and about 50 mm in diameter. The length of the green-gray needles can reach up to 7 centimeters, and its width - up to 0.3 centimeters. The apex of the needles is rounded and notched, with stomatal lines located on both their upper and lower surfaces. The shape of the cones is cylindrical-oval; they can reach 14 centimeters in length and 5 centimeters in width. The color of immature cones is green or purple, while mature ones are pale brown. Cultivated since 1831. This plant looks incredibly beautiful against the background of yellowed larches in the autumn. Popular decorative forms:

1. Fir Compacta. A dwarf shrub cultivar with spreading branches and blue needles. In some cases it is called Compacta Glauca.
2. Violacea. The height of such a fast-growing plant can reach up to 8 meters. The wide crown has a cone-shaped shape, and the long needles are painted bluish-white. This fir is distinguished by its very high decorative value and resistance to drought.

Siberian fir (Abies sibirica)

Under natural conditions, it can be found in the northeast of Russia, while this tree prefers to grow in river valleys, as well as in the highlands. This species is distinguished by its winter hardiness and shade tolerance, and it is under state protection. Siberian fir is the most famous species of all that are included in this genus. The plant can reach no more than 30 meters in height, and its narrow crown has a cone-shaped shape. The gray bark is smooth along almost its entire length, but at the very bottom it cracks. The narrow glossy needles are very soft, and they reach 30 mm in length. Their upper surface is dark green, and on the lower there are 2 stripes of white color. Ripe erect cones become pale brown. Varieties of Siberian fir: white, graceful, blue, variegated, etc.

Not only the species described above are cultivated, but also such firs as: subalpine, Fraser, whole-leaved, equal-scaled, Semenova, Sakhalin, myra, graceful, cephalin or Greek, tall, Vicha, white-barked or bud-scaled, white or European and Arizona.

Properties of fir

A plant such as fir stands out among all the others (even conifers). The fact is that the wood of this tree contains no resinous substances at all, and this allows it to be used to create musical instruments, as well as to build ships. Fir bark is used to prepare a very valuable balsam, and fir oil is extracted from pine needles and branches. A decoction made from bark and needles can increase performance, strengthen the immune system, eliminate toothache, and also reduce acidity in the stomach.

The resin of this plant has a powerful antiseptic effect, so it is used to treat cuts, ulcers, wounds and abrasions. For a long time, the indigenous people of America, as well as the first settlers, used fir resin to treat various diseases, for example: cough, cancer, otitis media, scurvy, bronchitis, tuberculosis, relieve sore throat, dysentery, inflammation of the mucous membranes, vaginal infection, gonorrhea, rheumatism, and They also relieved pain in joints and muscles.

Medicines containing fir cell sap extract are used for various inflammatory processes, acute and chronic heart failure, rheumatism and infectious diseases. Fir cell sap is capable of:

• improve hematopoiesis;
• strengthen the immune system;
• fight inflammatory processes (used in the treatment of pulmonary diseases);
• prevent the development of hypertension;
• normalize and significantly improve the functioning of the excretory organs;
• normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• saturate the body with missing macro- and microelements, as well as vitamins;
• protect from exposure to radiation;
• have a sedative and antioxidant effect, as well as increase the body's resistance to negative environmental influences.

It is also used in the prevention of heart and vascular diseases and oncology.

You can buy fir juice in the form of a phyto-cocktail, it is completely ready for use. You can also buy it in its natural form, but this type of juice can only be drunk diluted.

Fir essential oil shows very good results even in cases in which various chemotherapy drugs are absolutely powerless. For example, this oil helps slow down, and in some cases stop, the growth of cancer cells. The oil enters directly into the blood and accumulates at the site of the disease, while it completely retains its healing properties, since it bypasses the digestive organs. The active component of this substance is camphor. Fir oil is widely used in traditional medicine, as it has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, sedative, bactericidal, analgesic, restorative and tonic effects. It is also quite popular in cosmetology, it is used to eliminate: lichens, swelling, sagging epidermis, acne, boils, wrinkles, warts, etc.

Before you start using preparations or folk remedies prepared on the basis of fir, you should familiarize yourself with some rules:

1. During treatment, you must avoid drinks that contain even a small dose of alcohol.
2. You should not take such medications if you have an individual intolerance to fir.
3. These drugs should not be used for treatment by people with kidney pathology, as well as patients with epilepsy, and those with stomach ulcers or gastritis. They should also be avoided by pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children.
4. If you use the product incorrectly or exceed the dosage, this can lead to an allergic reaction. If red spots, itching and swelling appear on the skin, you should stop taking the drug immediately.

To check whether the product will cause an allergic reaction or not, you need to apply 10 to 15 drops of this drug to the skin of the back of your hand and rub it in thoroughly. You can evaluate the result after 2–3 days. But even if you are not allergic to fir, you should still consult your doctor about the dosage before taking it.

Do you know what type of tree is fir? It is an evergreen with a root system that goes deep into the ground. It has a wide conical shape with outstretched branches. The tree grows slowly, with annual growth ranging from 3 to 5 centimeters. At 30 years old, the size of a fir tree reaches two to three meters in height, and in general, some species of this plant can grow up to sixty meters.

In nature, it prefers open sunny places and partial shade. Fir needles can be either gray-blue or dark green. It has tough and relatively thick shoots. Loves fresh, deep, slightly acidic soil. It can even grow on sandy, dry soil. The best time to plant fir is from March to November. This plant looks great either planted alone or alone. The flowering of the fir tree (photo of the tree is presented in this article) is beautiful.

A tree lives for 300-400 years; old-time fir trees are also known in history, which were more than 700 years old.

The name of the plant comes from the German Fichte, which means “spruce”.

How to distinguish fir from spruce?

The fir tree (the description will be presented to your attention below) looks like a spruce, and an inexperienced person can easily make a mistake. However, the differences between these two plants are significant.

What does a fir tree look like? Its crown is located at the base of the trunk, unlike spruce and pine. The needles are very soft, with long and flat needles. Spruce needles are hard, short and prickly. Each fir needle has two white stripes on the underside. The needles can be slightly sharp, located on reproductive shoots, or rounded at the end (such needles grow on vegetative branches).

The needles on fir branches grow only on both sides, so the shoots themselves look “flat”. Spruce needles are arranged in a circle on the shoot.

Fir cones come in two types - the male ones are more like earrings made of small “flowers”. Female cones are large, cylindrical or ovoid, growing upward, as if “sitting” on a branch. Spruce cones usually hang down.

In winter, fir needles remain bright, unlike other coniferous trees, whose needles dim slightly during the cold season. If you cut a fir branch and bring it home, the needles will not dry out and fall off, unlike Christmas tree needles. Therefore, fir is often used in home decoration for the New Year holidays; beautiful compositions are created from branches that can look good for a very long time.

Types of fir

There are about 50 species of fir in total, some of them are very short, only 30 cm in height and are more like shrubs. There are also mighty trees, up to 80 m high. Some varieties grow in southern countries, for example, in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. But fir is most common in the forests of Europe and Russia, from the Southern Urals to the Arctic Ocean. Accordingly, the frost resistance of fir depends on its type.

Siberian fir

The Siberian fir tree species is a frost-resistant plant that is common in the northern taiga forests of Russia. Usually it chooses places to grow closer to water, for example, in river valleys and highlands. Siberian fir (photo of the tree is given below) has a cone-shaped and fairly narrow crown. The needles are dark green in color with soft, shiny and narrow needles. The length of the needles is three centimeters. Traditionally there are two white stripes on the underside of each needle. The size of mature Siberian fir trees is quite impressive. They reach a height of 30 meters.

The trunk of the plant is gray, the bark is smooth, thin at the top and on the branches, and thick and cracked at the bottom.

The cones are light brown in color and grow straight up on the branch.

There are several varieties of Siberian fir - blue, variegated, graceful.

Siberian fir is a valuable plant and is protected by the state.

Nordmann fir (Caucasian)

This is an endemic plant, found only in the Caucasus, and is therefore included in the list of protected plants. Lives in nature for 500 years.

Caucasian fir is a tall, powerful tree that grows up to sixty meters in height. In this case, the thickness of the trunk can even reach two meters. The crown of this tree is low, the shape is conical, and the top is narrow.

Dark green needles, with slightly pointed, long four-centimeter needles. There are two white stripes on the underside of each needle.

The bark on the trunk is smooth and shiny, even in its lower part. Only when the tree reaches eighty years of age can cracks appear on the trunk below.

The cones are ovoid and large. They are usually twenty centimeters long and five in diameter. Young cones are dark green in color, and when ripe they turn brown.

Nordmann fir also has its own varieties - golden, gray, weeping, erect.

Korean fir

The homeland of this plant is the mountains of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. This plant tolerates high altitude conditions well, including winter frosts, since it grows at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. The peculiarity of this type of fir is that it grows very slowly at a young age. However, after a few years, its growth accelerates greatly. This is a relatively low fifteen-meter tree, with a fairly thin trunk up to eighty centimeters. The crown is traditionally cone-shaped.

The peculiarity of this species is the color of the bark. Young trees have thin, smooth, ash-colored bark. With age, this color changes to purple or dark brown with a chestnut tint. At the bottom of the trunk of trees that have lived for several decades, the bark becomes covered with cracks.

The needles of Korean fir are very beautiful, thick and lush. However, the needles are harsh and slightly curved upward, having a saber shape. From below, each needle is ash-silver in color, which spreads along two stomatal stripes.

The cones of this type of fir are very beautiful, cylindrical in shape, and have an unusual purple color. However, the size of the cones is small, reaching only three centimeters in diameter and only seven centimeters in length.

This very beautiful tree is very popular in landscape design, since its varieties are very different from each other. For example, "Blue Standard" has bright purple buds, while "Piccolo" reaches only 30 centimeters in height.

Balsam fir

This type of fir (photos of the tree and cones are presented in this article) was brought to Eurasia from overseas, since it is naturally distributed in the USA and Canada. Balsam fir grows in latitudes with fairly harsh climates, right up to the tundra. It is also found in the highlands, at an altitude of up to two thousand meters above sea level. The peculiarity of this plant is that it is not long-lived, like other types of fir; its limit is 200 years.

Balsam fir is not very tall - up to twenty-five meters. The thickness of the trunk can reach seventy centimeters.

The bark is ash-colored and smooth on young trees. Brown trunks with a reddish tint are found in old plants.

Balsam fir needles are up to three centimeters in length. The needles are not sharp, dark green, soft. If you rub several needles in your palms, you can feel a pleasant characteristic smell. The peculiarity of the needles of this tree is that its needles are “long-lasting”; they do not fall off for seven years.

This fir has very beautiful, interestingly shaped cones, up to ten centimeters long, but narrow - only a little more than two centimeters in diameter. The young buds are very beautiful and have a dark purple color. When they ripen, they change color and become brown and resinous.

Varieties of balsam fir are interesting. "Hudsonia" is a dwarf tree with dense branches and a wide crown and variegated needles. “Nana” is also a low plant, similar to a shrub, only 50 centimeters in height. The color of the needles is unusual; it has a yellow-green tint.

How to plant fir correctly?

Like all conifers, the fir tree (the photo and description of which became the subject of our review) is an unpretentious plant. However, certain features and rules when planting and caring for this tree must be known.

When planting, it is better to take a container crop, since such plants can be planted almost all year round. They take root well in spring, summer, and even autumn. The only time it is not recommended to plant plants is during severe frosts in frozen ground.

What are the advantages of container crops?

The root ball is preserved as a whole. This is extremely important for conifers. The fact is that on the roots of all coniferous plants, including fir, there lives a special microorganism - mycorrhiza, which helps plants absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil. When this microorganism dries out, it dies. If you are offered to buy a coniferous seedling with an open root system, then under no circumstances should you buy it. Most likely, such a tree will not take root.

The coniferous fir tree is a record holder for endurance and can withstand drought well. However, it needs to be planted correctly so that it subsequently grows well and looks beautiful and fluffy. One of the first conditions for properly planting a fir is choosing a location. It should be well lit, sunny or, at least, light partial shade. The second condition is to correctly dig a hole in which to plant the fir.

How to properly dig a hole when planting?

It is necessary to dig a hole for the future plant, approximately 20 centimeters wider and 30 centimeters deeper than the clod of earth protecting the roots of the seedling. How to correctly determine the depth of a dug hole? This is easy to do - place the handle of the shovel across the hole. It will serve as the defining level. Place the seedling with a lump of earth in the hole and look at the level to see how deep the plant will be planted.

Under no circumstances should the root collar be buried; the first root of the seedling will grow from there after planting. This place only needs to be lightly sprinkled with earth. Therefore, if you have deepened the hole too much, you must add soil or make a drainage layer. You can use broken bricks as drainage. Fir does not like it when moisture stagnates in the roots.

Working with the drainage layer and feeding the plant

The drainage layer is lightly sprinkled with earth. After which you should again measure the depth of the hole, whether it is suitable for the seedling or not, not forgetting to use the handle of a shovel. If everything is in order, then you can add a little mineral fertilizer to the layer of soil covering the drainage; one hundred grams will be enough. After this, be sure to mix the soil so that there is no direct contact of the fertilizer with the roots of the plant.

We place the seedling in the hole and fill the open space around the roots. It’s good if you use a special mixture:

1. - 3 parts.
2. Sand - 1 part.
3. Peat - 1 part.

Proper planting of fir and watering

Try to plant the plant strictly vertically. The soil around the trunk of the seedling should be compacted slightly with your hands to settle any voids that may have formed during planting. You can form a border from the soil around the plant so that the water does not spread when watering. Immediately you need to water the plant well. This should be done using a watering can or hose, placing your hand under the stream of water so that the soil does not erode.

You can pour water directly on the top of the fir, on the branches - coniferous plants love this very much. Water the seedling three times, allowing the water to soak into the soil each time. In total, you need to pour out about a bucket of water.

The first watering is very important for the survival of the plant, which must be saturated with moisture. In addition, all the voids that still remain in the hole are gradually filled with heavy, wet soil.

Mulching

After the moisture has been absorbed, it is advisable to mulch the plant. You can do this with peat or pine chips; thuja spruce branches will also work. Cover thoroughly with this material on the ground, and there is no need to remove it during subsequent watering. It will perfectly allow moisture to pass through and prevent it from evaporating unnecessarily.

Fir care

After planting, coniferous plants are watered quite often. Once a week you should pour a bucket of water under the tree. The minerals that were introduced into the root system during planting will last for approximately 2-3 years. During this entire period of time, the plant does not need fertilizing.

Sunburn

The young coniferous fir tree is afraid of sunburn. In spring and summer, when the sun begins to get very hot, fir needles can burn, turn yellow and then fall off. This can be avoided if you lightly shade the plant with straw, spruce branches or craft paper, burlap, leaving gaps for diffused lighting. It is also necessary to protect the seedling from the wind. To do this, it should be tied to a peg.

When and how to use fertilizers?

After the plant takes root well, and this will happen in 2-3 years, you can begin to fertilize it. Fir is an evergreen plant; it does not require rapid replenishment of nutrients like deciduous trees. Therefore, it does not need a lot of fertilizer.

The best fertilizer for conifers (including fir) is to add good humus or compost to the tree trunk circle. How to do it? Lightly loosen the soil, add fertilizer and mix it with the soil. You just need to be careful when doing this, since the root system of fir is shallow, so you should add fertilizer only to the very surface of the soil.

The following mineral fertilizers are suitable for fir: 30-40 grams of nitroammophoska per square meter of tree trunk circle. Fertilizing is applied once a year, in spring or at the very beginning of autumn. Under no circumstances should you fertilize the soil for fir in late autumn. This can provoke the growth of new shoots, which will not have time to ripen and will suffer in the winter and become frozen.

Trimming

Nature has endowed the fir with a very beautiful crown; as a rule, this plant does not need pruning. Unless in the spring you notice after winter a broken twig or one that has dried out as a result of some kind of physical impact. For example, there was too much snow, and the branches of a young tree could not withstand the load.

If the fir grows and develops in suitable conditions, then the plant’s immunity will be strong. The tree will not suffer from diseases or pests. However, if the plant has experienced stress, for example, during a hot, dry summer there was little watering and the branches dried out and the needles began to fall off, such a plant may be affected by diseases.

Fir usually suffers from fungal diseases. A damp, warm winter is especially favorable for the appearance of fungus. You can fight this by using special medications.

Phytotherapy

Of all the species of this plant, Siberian fir is mainly used for medicinal purposes (photos of the tree and leaves, or rather needles, were presented above). Many different medicines are produced from its resin.

Fir resin is formed in special formations, nodules, on the trunk of the plant. It contains 30% essential oil and 70% plant resins. Turpentine is produced from fir resin, which is widely used. For example, for turpentine baths according to the prescription of Dr. Zalmanov.

Fir essential oils (photo of tree and leaves above) are remarkable because they have a calming effect on the human nervous system, relieve migraines. They can be used for baths and massages by adding them to base oil. Fir essential oil is also used for cosmetics, in particular, for very effective hair masks. There are no contraindications for use of this natural remedy, except for individual intolerance and allergies.

Since ancient times, not only resin or resin has been used for medicinal purposes. Needles, bark and even wood can also help get rid of many diseases. Fir needles contain a large amount of vitamins, especially vitamin C. Its content especially increases in winter, it helps trees and animals that eat needles survive the cold.

In summer, the content of essential oils in fir needles increases. In addition to vitamin C, the needles contain vitamins A and E. Preparations from fir needles and decoctions have diuretic properties and help strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Needles can help a person with heart disease, colds, bronchopulmonary, and rheumatic diseases. The range of uses of fir needles is quite wide. The successful use of preparations from fir needles in post-stroke manifestations is known.

Vitamin infusions are prepared from paws and needles. In order to preserve the vitamin C content of fir needles, they must be collected in winter and stored under the snow in the yard or in the freezer of the refrigerator. In summer, coniferous fir legs can be used immediately.

Fir branches are also used for bath procedures. This is especially useful in winter - adding a fresh, small fir foot to a birch broom for the steam room. This will enhance the healing massage. Under the influence of boiling water, the needles will begin to release beneficial essential oils that smell pleasant and have a good effect on the skin and respiratory organs.

It must be remembered that resin and pine needles should be collected only outside cities, in ecologically clean areas - in the forest, taiga, away from industrial enterprises.

Long walks in the fir forest are very beneficial. Here the air is always clean and saturated with phytoncides that have a great effect on the respiratory system. This strengthens the immune system well and helps asthmatics.

musical plant

Fir is used not only for healing, but also for making musical instruments. This wood has very good properties for creating excellent sound resonance. When the tree dries, empty resin passages are formed inside the trunk and bark, which have a remarkable resonating effect.

is an evergreen plant with a conical crown. The top of the fir starts from the base of the trunk. In mature trees, the top of the crown is rounded or notched.

The color of the periderm is gray, it is not wrinkled in most. The periderm of mature trees becomes thicker and cracks over time. Some garden species have green-gray or green-blue needles. The needles of most trees are flat, dark green in color with milky stripes below.

Fir has a pleasant pine smell. There are about forty species of fir, but not all of them are suitable for garden design, since individual plants grow up to sixty meters. The cones are located at the top of the crown. The development of buds takes decades. Fir cones fall to the ground in stiff parts. The fir root is taprooted and strong.

There are fir trees with decorative cones, these include the following types: Korean fir, Wich fir, single-color fir, Fraser fir, Siberian fir. Fir is divided into species, which, in turn, have various varieties. Below are the most popular and widespread varieties of fir.

Did you know? A distinctive feature of fir plants is the location of resin ducts in the periderm, and not in the wood.

Homeland: North America and Canada. The crown of the tree is symmetrical, dense, pin-shaped, and located low. Plant height is from 15 to 25 meters. With age, the periderm changes its color from ash-gray to red-brown, and the shoots change from ruby ​​to red-brown. The branches are arranged in a ring shape in tiers. The needles are shiny, poisonous green, with a pronounced balsamic smell, small cones of lilac color.
The cones are cylindrical, up to ten centimeters long. This type of fir is shade-tolerant, frost-resistant and fast-growing. The branches of the lower tier take root well. Balsam fir is represented by several decorative garden forms of such varieties as Nana and Hudsonia.

Balsam fir variety Nana is a slow-growing plant in the form of a dwarf bush. The bush is mundane, cushion-shaped, the height does not exceed fifty centimeters, and the diameter is eighty centimeters. The needles of the bush are short, ruby ​​in color, strongly knitted, and smell pleasant. Nana is winter-hardy, but does not tolerate high temperatures and drought.

The homeland of single-color fir is the mountainous regions of the United States and northern Mexico. Trees grow up to sixty meters. The crown is wide and conical. The periderm is dense, light gray in color with oblong cracks. The needles of single-color fir are the largest among other species, their length is about six centimeters.
The color of the needles is matte bluish-green on all sides, they are soft and have a pleasant lemon aroma. The cones are dark purple in color, their length reaches 12 cm, and their shape is oval-cylindrical. Single-color fir is a fast-growing tree that is resistant to winds, smoke, drought and frost. Lives about 350 years. Single-color fir has several decorative forms, among them popular varieties such as Violacea and Compacta.

Violacea is a lilac single-color fir. The top of the tree is wide, conical, and the height does not exceed eight meters. The needles are oblong, white and blue. This form of fir is rarely found in ornamental plantings.
Campacta is a dwarf, slow-growing shrub with randomly placed branches. The length of the needles reaches forty centimeters, the color is blue. Just like Violaceu, it can be found very rarely.

Cephalline fir (Greek)

Cefallin fir lives in the south of Albania and Greece, in the mountains at an altitude of up to two thousand meters above sea level. The plant grows up to 35 meters in height, the diameter of the trunk reaches two meters. The crown is thick, conical, low. The periderm becomes cracked over time. The young are bare, polished to the touch, shiny, bright brown or red-brown in color. The buds are cone-shaped, resinous, red-purple in color.
Needles up to 3.5 cm in length and no more than three millimeters wide. The tops of the needles are sharp, the needles themselves are shiny and thick, dark green at the top and pale green at the bottom. The needles are arranged in a spiral, close to each other. The cones are narrow, cylindrical, resinous, and large. At first the cones are purple in color, and as they ripen they become brownish-purple. Greek fir is drought-resistant, grows slowly, and is afraid of cold winters.

Whole leaf fir (black Manchurian)

The homeland of whole-leaved fir is the south of Primorye, Northern China and Korea. The tree grows up to 45 meters. The crown is dense, broadly pyramidal, loose, lowered to the ground. A distinctive feature of this type of fir is the color of the bark - at first it is dark gray and then black. Young seedlings have a yellow-gray periderm. The needles are dense, hard, sharp, solid. The top of the dark green needles is shiny, and the bottom is lighter.
The needles are arranged in waves on the branches. Black Manchurian fir changes its needles every nine years. The cones are cylindrical, light brown in color, resinous, velvety pubescent. The first ten years of life it grows slowly, and then growth increases rapidly. The lifespan of a tree is 400 years. The tree is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, wind-resistant, and requires high soil and environmental moisture.

Nordmann fir (Caucasian)

The homeland of Caucasian fir is the western Caucasus and Türkiye. Nordmann fir grows up to 60 meters in height, with a trunk diameter of up to two meters. The crown is narrow, cone-shaped, densely branched. Young plantings have a shiny light brown or yellow periderm, which turns gray over time. The young are shiny red-brown and then white-gray in color.
The needles are dark green, dense, the bottom of the needles is silver. Rarely seen, since the tree has low winter hardiness. There are several varieties of fir for decorative cultivation: Pendula Aurea, Gtauka, Albo-spicata.

Did you know? The lifespan of the Nordmann fir is five hundred years.

Sakhalin fir is native to Sakhalin and Japan. The plant is highly decorative, up to thirty meters high, has a smooth periderm of a dark steel color, which becomes darker as it grows. The diameter of the seedling does not exceed one meter. The branches of the wide-conical dense crown are slightly curved upward.
The needles are soft, dark green in color, with milky stripes underneath. The length of the needles reaches four centimeters, the width is no more than two millimeters. The cones are placed vertically, the shape is cylindrical. The color of the cones is brown or black-blue, length 8 cm, diameter 3 cm. The plant is frost-resistant and requires increased moisture in the air and soil.

Subalpine fir (mountain)

Mountain fir is native to the high mountains of North America. The height does not exceed 40 meters, the trunk is 60 cm in diameter. The tops of the trees are low-growing, narrowly conical. Subalpine fir has a smooth, gray periderm covered with small cracks. The top of the needles is a matte grassy blue, and the bottom has two white stripes. The needles are attached in two rows. Subalpine fir has cylindrical cones; ripening occurs annually at the end of August. There are types of mountain fir suitable for ornamental cultivation.
Argentea is a mountain fir with silver needles. Glauka is a subalpine fir up to 12 meters high, with a pyramid-shaped crown and elongated steel or blue needles. Compacta is a dwarf fir no more than one and a half meters in height with a wide, well-branched crown. The needles are silver-sky in color, with bluish stripes at the bottom. The shape of the needles is similar to a sickle, length is 3 cm. The needles are located tightly. Low-growing varieties are widespread among amateur gardeners.

Important! Young fir seedlings must be covered for the winter, as they are afraid of spring frosts.

It grows in mountain ranges from one hundred to 1850 meters above sea level in the south of the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island. This type of fir was discovered in 1907. The seedling does not grow higher than 15 meters. The young are first yellow and then red, covered with thin fibers. The needles are short, shiny dark green at the top and white at the bottom. The cones are a beautiful bright blue with a purple tint. Grows slowly, winter-hardy.
Varieties such as Blue Standard are widespread - tall trees with dark purple cones; Brevifolia is a tree with a rounded crown, marsh-green needles at the top and gray-white below, and small purple cones; Silberzverg is a low, slow-growing variety of fir with silver-colored needles, a rounded crown and short, densely branched branches; Piccolo is a shrub about thirty centimeters high, reaches a diameter of up to one and a half meters with a flat spreading crown, the needles are dark herbaceous in color.

Tall fir (noble)

The tall fir reaches a height of 100 meters. The homeland of noble fir is the western part of North America. The habitat is river valleys and gentle slopes near the ocean. This is practically the tallest type of fir. It has a cone-shaped crown when the seedlings are young, and as the seedling ages, the crown will become dome-shaped. Young growth has a gray-brown smooth periderm, and older seedlings have a dark brown periderm covered with oblong cracks.
Young branches are olive-green or red-brown, in cannon. Older branches are bare. The needles are small, curved at the base. The top of the needles is shiny green and the bottom is bluish. The shape of the cones is oblong-cylindrical, length up to 12 cm, diameter 4 cm. Not ripe cones are emerald or red-brown in color, but ripe ones are dark brown-gray resinous. The lifespan of noble fir is about 250 years. The seedling grows quickly.

Did you know? The periderm, needles and buds of fir are used to make medicinal preparations. They contain essential oils and tannins.

The homeland of fir is Central Japan, its habitat is mountains. The height is about forty meters. The branches of the plant are short, located perpendicular to the trunk, the crown is pyramid-shaped. The trunk is covered with a smooth white-gray periderm. The young are covered with a pubescent periderm of gray or emerald color.
The needles are soft, slightly curved, no more than 2.5 cm. The top of the needles is shiny dark green, the bottom is decorated with milky stripes. The length of the cones is about 7 cm. Unripe cones of a red-blue-lilac color eventually acquire a chestnut color. The plant is winter-hardy, fast-growing, and resistant to smoke.

The homeland of this fir species is North America. The height of the tree is 25 meters, the top is pyramid-shaped or conical. The young fir trunk is covered with a gray periderm, and the old trunk is red, the branches are yellow-gray. The needles are short, shiny dark green above and silvery below. The cones are short, decorative, and purplish-brown in color when mature.
The plant is winter-hardy, but does not tolerate air pollution well. Fraser fir is used for landscaping parks, forest parks and suburban areas. There is a shrub with perpendicular placement of branches - prostrate Fraser fir.

The homeland of Siberian fir is Siberia. Rarely found in landscaping. The height of the plant does not exceed thirty meters. The crown is narrow, cone-shaped. The branches are thin, lowered to the ground. The periderm at the bottom of the trunk is cracked, at the top it is rough and dark gray. The shoots are covered with thick pile. The needles are soft, narrow and blunt at the end, up to three centimeters long.

The color of the needles is dark green shiny at the top and two parallel milky stripes at the bottom. Siberian fir changes its needles every 11 years. The cones are erect, cylindrical, initially light chestnut or light purple, and then light brown in color. The plant is winter-hardy and shade-tolerant. There is Siberian blue, white, and motley. They differ only in the color of the needles.

Important! Fir cannot be planted in absolute shade, since its crown is fully formed only with sufficient lighting.

White fir (European)

White fir is a plant that grows up to 65 meters with a trunk diameter of up to one and a half meters. The crown of the plant is cone-shaped. The periderm is white-gray with a red tint. Young European fir are green or light chestnut in color, but over time they become gray-chestnut. The needles are dark green, silvery below. The European fir is native to the countries of Central and Southern Europe. The tree grows slowly and does not like windy areas. times already
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Fir tree in the photo

Fir is a relative of spruce, a genus of monoecious evergreen trees, with a height of 25 to 50 m. Homeland - North America, Eastern countries - China, Japan, Korea, Far East.

When describing a fir tree, the crown deserves special attention - it is pyramidal, with one trunk-axis and branches arranged in tiers. The needles are flattened, dihedral, with stomatal stripes on the underside. Thanks to the waxy coating, the needles appear whitish. There is a notch at the top of the needle, which is typical only for fir. The needles are attached to the branch with a disc-shaped, widened base in the form of a suction cup, so when they fall off, a trace remains in the form of a scar. The needles of the evergreen fir tree live for several years without falling. The fir root system is deep, but not branched.

At the age of 30 or more years, fir trees are decorated with cones. They appear in the upper third of the crown, are usually darker in color and stand on the branches like candles.

The genus fir has more than 50 species, eight of them are found in the natural conditions of Russia. You can find photos and descriptions of fir species, especially popular in the middle zone, on this page.

Siberian fir tree in the photo

Siberian fir is common in the northeastern regions of the European part of Russia, as well as in Siberia. In the mountains it can rise up to 2 thousand m above sea level. The tree is tall, with a pyramidal crown, durable - maximum age is 200 years, but even then it dies not from old age, but from root rot.

As you can see in the photo, Siberian fir has narrow needles, 2-3 cm long:

Siberian fir needles
Siberian fir needles

The root system is deep due to the taproot, but not branched and without visible root hairs. They are replaced by mycorrhiza fungus, with which fir forms a very productive symbiosis.

The buds are resinous, and the bark also produces resin abundantly. The resin has a beneficial effect on the plant, reducing evaporation.

The winter hardiness of Siberian fir is high, which cannot be said about its resistance to air pollution. She also does not like waterlogged soils, and swampy ones kill her.

All parts of Siberian fir contain volatile and non-volatile resins. Volatile substances include turpentine and essential oil substances, and non-volatile substances include rosin-resin substances. Both of them have bactericidal properties, due to which fir trees in their youth are almost not damaged by diseases.

Fir oil is extracted from needles and young branches on an industrial scale, which is used to prepare camphor. In its pure form, fir oil is widely used in medicine - for inhalation, rubbing, and as a component of medications for upper respiratory tract diseases.

As a heart remedy, this camphor is superior in vitamin C content and effectiveness to imported ones.

Fir varieties of eastern origin - from Korea, Northern China, and the Far East - are also of great interest.

Look at the photo of the Siberian fir, the description of which you could read above:

Siberian fir
Siberian fir

Caucasian fir in the photo

This plant is quite widespread, but less stable in cultivation. The tree is powerful, beautiful, very tall and durable. It lives up to 800 years, but just like the Siberian fir, it dies not from old age, but from fungal diseases and pests.

Caucasian fir in the photo

In cultivation, this species attracts the attention of breeders; they have bred weeping forms with golden needles.

When describing the Caucasian fir, it is worth noting its main drawback: the tree often suffers from sunburn. Obviously, because the bark and branches are less protected by resinous substances than, for example, Siberian fir.

The dwarf decorative form of Nordmann fir is the slow-growing plant “Golden Sprider” with a spreading crown. In culture since 1961.

Pay attention to the photo of the Caucasian fir of this variety - its needles are yellow-colored on top and yellow-white below, the length of the needles is 10-25 mm, width - 2 mm:

Caucasian fir
Caucasian fir

This is an excellent plant for decorating small gardens; it can be used to decorate the bare trunks of other coniferous plants; it grows well in their shade.

Balsam fir in the photo

It is a North American fir that grows wild in Canada. It can grow in the Far North, in the tundra, where it forms dwarf-type thickets. It is not afraid of swampy places, near water bodies - the place for this fir is ideal.

The balsam fir coniferous tree has very aromatic dark green needles and resinous buds. The name itself speaks of the value of this pita as a balm. The bark, young branches, and buds are saturated with it. Balsam made from this fir is of the best quality by international standards. It is called “Canada balsam” and is indispensable in microscopic practice for fixing anatomical sections. Widely used in medicine as a bactericidal agent.

When describing balsam fir, one cannot fail to note its frost resistance. However, this tree is not drought-resistant, so it does not do well in the south. Dry air has a particularly negative effect, and dry winds are generally destructive for it.

As shown in the photo, balsam fir has decorative forms with white needles at the ends:

Balsam fir
Balsam fir

There are also miniature forms, but they are used in landscaping only in central Russia.

Fir "Nana" in the photo

Balsam fir "Hudsonic" or "Nana", is a low-growing, slow-growing plant with a rounded shape, reaching only 60 cm in height. Requires acidic soil and full sun. Winter-hardy down to -40 °C. It is better to plant in autumn or winter. Its needles are dark green, short, glossy and thick.

In the wild, single-color fir is a tree up to 30 m in height. Young shoots are yellowish-green, glabrous or slightly pubescent. The bark of the trunks is gray, initially smooth, then deeply fissured. The buds are spherical, yellowish, resinous.

Decorative single-color fir in the photo

The needles are linear, 4-7 cm long, up to 2.5 mm wide, bluntly pointed or obtuse at the apex, narrowed towards the base. The description of single-color fir needles follows from its name - the needles on both sides are single-colored, gray, bluish or grayish-green, dull, on the side shoots they are arranged in a comb-like manner, somewhat curved.

Cones of decorative single-color fir

The cones are oval-cylindrical, 8-12 cm long, 3-5 cm thick, adults are light brown, slightly resinous. The covering scales are half as long as the seed scales, finely toothed along the outer edge, and pointed in the middle.

Seeds are 10-12 mm long, wedge-shaped, light brown, with a wing 15-20 mm, ripen in October.

This is an excellent decorative fir for the garden, in addition, it is one of the relatively hardy ones that are not even so dangerous from air pollution. It is undemanding to soil and climate and is propagated by seeds.

Of the dwarf forms of single-color fir, Glauka Compacta is very popular.. It is characterized by a dense asymmetrical crown shape and striking gray-blue needles. This crop is suitable for larger rock gardens; it can be planted next to them, as well as placed in the middle of the lawn and in small gardens.

Look at the photo - a single-color fir has a grayish-bluish color of needles that contrasts with the lush green or green with a golden tint of other conifers:

Fir "Glauka Compacta"
Fir "Glauka Compacta"

It is advisable to use single-flowered fir for the conditions of the arid south and southeast. Its homeland is North America, growing along rivers, on shady slopes. The tree is beautiful, slender, with a waxy matte-gray crown. The needles are long - up to 5-6 cm, and have a lemon scent.

The plant is very light-loving. Extremely hardy. Unpretentious in cultivation, grows on any soil, even saline. The tree is drought- and frost-resistant and is very popular in landscaping in central Russia, because it is as beautiful as it is durable. Lifespan - 350 years.

As can be seen in the photo, this decorative fir has forms with silver-white, blue-white, golden or pale yellow needles, as well as dwarf and weeping:

Decorative fir
Decorative fir

Fir trees of eastern origin are also of great interest - from Korea, Northern China, and the Far East.

Korean fir in adulthood it seems too bulky for a small garden, but, nevertheless, it is quite suitable for such use. It will take many years before this plant reaches 2-4 m in height. It grows slowly. It often happens that the crown diameter of an old Korean fir is greater than the height of the entire plant.

Korean fir
Korean fir

Pay attention to the photo - this type of fir has very beautiful, dense, lush green needles on top and white below, and most importantly, attractive purple cones that appear even on a young tree.

Dwarf fir "Silberlok" in the photo

This species has a dwarf form "Silberlock". The plant reaches only 80 cm in height - small dark green needles are white on the underside. The cones are dark red in color, 10 cm long, and scatter seeds when ripe. Winter hardiness down to -29 °C.

Vicha fir in the photo

Fir Vicha originally from Japan. It is very unusual and decorative with its flowing branches with soft, curved needles. At a young age it grows quickly. Winter-hardy and resistant to smoke, smog, and gases. But he loves light and fertile soil.

Equal scale fir also from Japan. The tree naturally grows in the mountains. Unlike Vicha, it has resinous buds. In Russia it grows successfully on the Black Sea coast, but in the European part it loses all its majesty, reaching a height of 20-25 m.

As shown in the photo, this type of fir in Japan is often cultivated as bonsai, and in its natural form it decorates parks, temples, and castles.

Fir Vetkhova- a tall species, is a slender tree, reaching 20 m in height and 4 m in crown diameter. It has thick, shiny, dark green needles with a silvery tint on the underside. Every year this tree grows approximately 70 cm in height and 20 cm in width. It is planted mainly singly in large gardens.

Tall fir, or gigantic- a species from North America, found in the mountains at an altitude of 2100 m above sea level, where it reaches a height of up to 100 m. Of course, in Europe it does not grow so high, but it grows successfully, being unpretentious.

Pretty fir is also a powerful tree. Grows wild in North America. Its distinctive feature is its long (up to 3 cm) needles with the scent of orange. The buds and young branches are resinous.

Fir trees were a decoration of gardens in Ancient Greece. There are several Mediterranean species known to be of historical interest.

Pretty fir, form “Spread Star”- a tree up to 90 cm in height, with low-growing spreading branches.

Look at the photo - this variety of fir eventually forms a carpet 3-3.5 m wide:

Grows best in acidic soil and full sun. Winter-hardy down to -23 °C. It is better to plant in autumn or winter.

Greek fir (Parnassian), according to legend, was used to build the Trojan horse. Its peculiarity is the spiral arrangement of the needles. It grows in the mountains of Greece. We feel good in Sochi.

Spanish fir found in the calcareous mountains of Southern Spain at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level. This is a relatively short tree, up to 25 m, very beautiful with its thick crown.

As you can see in the photo, this fir tree has short needles, but thick and hard, which is not typical for other fir trees:

They are arranged in a spiral, which is why there are no gaps in the crown. The species is thermophilic, not frost-resistant, and undemanding to soils. It is used in landscaping on the Black Sea coast and in Crimea.

Fraser fir
Fraser fir

Fraser fir- an alien from North America, a very stable and decorative species. The tree is low and slender. The needles are short, the buds are resinous. The species is winter-hardy and drought-resistant, but does not tolerate urban conditions.

Subalpine fir promising for central Russia and the Black Earth Region. It grows wild in Alaska, where it lives high in the mountains. The tree grows very slowly, reaching 20 m in height by the age of 200 years. The buds are resinous, the needles are relatively long, up to 4 cm. The species is unpretentious in cultivation.

There is a dwarf form - “Compacta”, which is used when growing in containers.

Sakhalin fir
Sakhalin fir

Sakhalin fir found in the south of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands on wooded mountains. It is used in landscaping in the middle latitudes of Russia. The tree is very decorative. Regular conical shape, smooth bark, soft blunt needles - these are the main parameters of its appearance. Produces seeds well. The cones are ellipsoid, up to 7 cm in length. The seeds are yellow or brown with a purple wing. It is moisture-loving, frost-resistant, although the needles freeze slightly during spring frosts, and is unpretentious in cultivation.

Propagation of fir trees by seeds and cuttings

The main method of propagation of fir is by seeds. The cones ripen in the year of flowering, in early autumn (September). They must be collected as soon as a subtle separation of the scales begins, otherwise they will crack and fall off.

It is better to sow seeds in the spring after a month's stratification. When sowing, the soil should be warmed up, which increases seed germination and will allow you to avoid spring frosts.

Seedlings need mandatory shade, otherwise sunburn will destroy them. An equally important operation for caring for seedlings is mulching the soil, which will protect the weak root system from overheating and save it from being overgrown by weeds.

Seedlings are kept in one place for 3 years. Then they are transplanted at the very beginning of autumn into ridges for growing, giving a feeding area of ​​15 x 20 cm. The seedlings are transplanted so that they have time to take root before winter.

After another 3-4 years, the fir can be planted in a permanent place, always with a lump of earth, in early spring or early autumn.

Vegetative propagation is also possible - by cuttings and layering. These methods are very labor-intensive, but they allow you to fully preserve the individual characteristics of plants.

When propagating garden forms, the vegetative method, in particular by cuttings, is preferable.

The best cuttings for propagating fir are lateral annual shoots 7-10 cm long with small apical buds from branches of the 2nd-3rd order. They are cut off from the “heel” or broken out. Cuttings are harvested in early spring during the period of spring sap flow. Planted in sand to a depth of 1.5 cm, sprayed regularly, covered with polyethylene and placed in a shaded place. In the first 2-3 weeks, this regime is maintained. Periodic ventilation is necessary, but without drafts. Roots form in 2-3 months.

In nature, fir easily reproduces both by seeds and vegetatively (by layering). The seeds quickly germinate even when self-seeding, and the lower branches, in contact with the ground, take root, producing numerous layerings. They grow in the form of elfin wood when the connection with the mother plant is lost.

Decorative forms of fir are propagated by cuttings taken only from young plants.

Growing conditions and care for fir trees

All firs grow well in open areas as single trees or in groups. They are demanding on soil and air humidity. Frost-resistant, cannot tolerate burning and smog in urban conditions. Firs are more demanding than other conifers in terms of growing conditions. They are light-loving and only tolerate shade when young. The soils prefer clay-sandy, moderately moist, rich in nutrients and cannot tolerate high levels of groundwater.

One of the important conditions for growing fir is a place protected from the winds and clean air, since these trees do not tolerate gas pollution and smoke at all and are better suited for suburban summer cottages.

Firs are light-loving plants. In dense and shaded plantings they are not very decorative. The typical shape of a fir crown will be formed only in open areas.

It is not necessary to form a fir crown during the growth process, but it is necessary to ensure that the seedlings do not have two tops. If there are two tops, which is possible if the top is broken or damaged by pests, the weaker one must be removed, and the sooner the better.