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The beautiful grand fir is the tallest true fir in the Pacific Northwest. It is often grown as a Christmas tree in our region. As a yard tree, the grand fir will shade your home for potentially hundreds of years. Make sure to plant grand fir in the right location.
Grand Fir (Abies grandis)
Grand fir (Abies grandis) trees grow as a large, evergreen conifer. In fact, it is the tallest tree in the genus Abies in the world. Grand firs can grow up to 250 feet tall. It has a strong, piney smell.
Distribution
Grand fir has a wide distribution with two varieties. One variety grows west of the Cascade Mountains from British Columbia to Northern California. Another, smaller variety of grand fir grows in eastern Washington and Oregon, and into western Idaho.
Needles and Cones
Grand fir tree needles are about two inches long. They lie flat on either side of their leaf stem. The needles have a whitish band on the underside of the needles, which are the stomata (leaf pores). Grand fir trees have tightly packed, green four-inch cones as shown in the photo. The seeds are released when the cone dries out and opens. Cones open upwards of six months after pollination.
Indigenous Peoples and Grand Fir
Many Indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest make use of grand fir trees. The Nlaka’pamux use its bark for canoes and to cover lodges. Shaman of the Kwakwaka’wakw people use its branches in headdresses and clothing. A great many Indigenous people use grand fir in some capacity as a medicine and a healing tonic.
Grand Firs in Portland
Portland has two grand firs on the Heritage Tree list. The grand fir on the Heritage Tree list at Pier Park tops out at 167 feet tall.
Caring for Grand Firs
Grand firs get big. Before planting one, make sure you have adequate space. Young trees prefer shade, mimicking their natural environment. As they grow, the grand fir prefers full sun. Keep new trees consistently watered. At three to five years, they should be thriving on their own. For more information on caring for new trees, see Urban Forestry's establishment care guide.
Problems and Pests: Fir trees across the Pacific Northwest in the Cascades and Coast Ranges, Willamette Valley and beyond are experiencing drought stress. Fir trees planted in urban areas are especially prone to extreme heat. Learn the signs and symptoms of Abies Spp. drought injury (Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Management Handbook).
To diagnose true fir (Abies Spp.) problems, use Oregon State University's plant disease and insect management handbooks:
For More Information
- Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Revised Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Lone Pine, 2004
- Abies grandis | Landscape Plants | Oregon State University
- Grand Fir Plant Guide | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Abies grandis - Wikipedia