Description: One of the tallest true firs, with narrow, pointed crown of stout, curved and slightly drooping branches.

Height: 30-60m

Diameter: 0.5-1m.

Needles: evergreen; spreading almost at right angles in two rows; crowded and curved upward on upper twigs; 3-5cm long, lower row longer than the upper. Flat, flexible; shiny dark green above, silvery white beneath. When rubbed between the fingers, give off a pleasant fruity orange scent.

Bark: brown; smooth with resin blisters, becoming deeply furrowed into narrow scaly ridges.

Twigs: brown; slender, with fine hairs when young.

Cones: 5-10cm long; cylindrical, upright on topmost twigs, green or brown; cone-scales hairy, about 3cm wide, bracts short and hidden. Paired, long-winged seeds up to 9mm long with wing twice that length.

Habitat: Valleys and mountain slopes in cool, humid climate; scattered in dense mixed coniferous forests or alone in open forests. California plant communities North Coastal Coniferous Forest (m10) and Mixed Evergreen Forest (m19).

Range: S British Colombia south along coast to California; also in Rocky Mountain region to central Idaho; from sea-level to 450m along coast; to 1800m inland. Largest specimens are found chiefly in the coastal regions in deep, rich alluvial soils below 300m.

Common and scientific names refer to the large size; the champion in Olympic National Park, Washington, is 70m tall with a circumference of 6.3m. A Vancouver Island specimen (now felled) was 73m x 4.5m and 280 years old. Like those of related species, the smooth bark of small trunks has swellings or blisters; when pinched or opened, fragrant, transparent resin or balsam squirts out. Grand Fir grows very rapidly, which may be why its wood is of poor quality, good only for pulping. The trees grow to a maximum age of 200-250 years. Discovered by David Douglas in 1825 and seeds sent to UK in 1831. First planted in Britain in 1832, but few specimens raised. Further introductions by William Lobb to Veitch and Jeffrey to Scottish Oregon Association in 1851. Biggest UK specimen was planted at Strone, Argyll in 1876 and had reached 62.4m x 5.7m in 1987. Often planted as a crop tree in Europe.

Information: Audubon (1980), Lawrence (1985), Leathart (1991)

Source: Weasdale Nurseries, Newbiggin-on-Lune, Cumbria.

Purchased: 1993.03.16, by us, two specimens at 3-4 ft.

Planted: One on 1993.04.02 at B40D, one 1993.04.17 at B34A, American Strip, Pacific Northwest Temperate Rain Forest zone.

Progess: the tree at B40D lost its leader very early on. Since Abies have a reputation for being very slow to form a new leader, the most promising of the top whorl of shoots was bent vertical using bonsai wire. This very quickly developed into a new leader, becoming significantly thicker than the other shoots. Five years down the line, you have to look quite hard to see where this was done, and the tree has made it to 3.1 m on 1998.10.07. The B34A specimen didn't seem to settle as well, but has made steady progress each year, being up to 2.3 m on the same date. The B40D tree has for some time been showing a tendency for its needles to curl and look quite distressed, but none have been shed, and the tree continues to grow upwards as though nothing was wrong, reaching 12.8m by 2004.09.27. That's 1.6m a year over the last six years compared to 0.4m a year initially. Looks like a year-on-year increase in the height put on... The B34A tree looks healthier, but has developed two leaders (too high for me to easily reach) and is at 11.6m in 2004.

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