Silver fir, European silver fir
Abies alba

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. It is also used in medicine

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in cool temperate places. It is frost resistant. It suits high rainfall areas. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Albania, Andorra, Arctic, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania

How it is used for food

It is the source of a honey-dew honey. This is regarded as a tonic. The inner bark was made into a cake like bread. The young shoots are covered with sugar and eaten as a children's snack. The buds and young cones were used to distill brandy and to make drinks.

Edible parts

Honeydew, bark, shoots, buds, cones, flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

It is fast growing.

Its other names

Local names

Avet, Bela jelka, Feherfenyo, Jedlina, Jela, Jelika, Tanne, White fir

Synonyms

Abies argentea Chambrey; Abies candicans Fisch. ex Endl.; Abies pectinata (Lam.) Lam. & DC. [Illegitimate]; Peuce abies Rich.; Picea pectinata (Lam.) Loudon; and many others