Giant fir, Grand fir, Lowland fir
Abies grandis

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

There are about 50 Abies species. They are mostly in north temperate regions.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It does best in deep moist soils. It grows at low altitudes in Canada and N USA. It can tolerate some shade. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, North America, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The young shoots are used as a tea substitute. The inner bark is used as an emergency food.

Edible parts

Shoots - tea, bark

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed.

It grows quickly. It can grow 1 m a year. Trees can live for 250 years.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Possibly now Abies excelsior