Herb: Californian Red Fir


Latin name: Abies magnifica


Family: Pinaceae (Pine Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
60 m
(197 feet)

Habitat of Californian Red Fir:

Dry slopes and ridges, 1500 - 2700 metres. The best specimens are found in well-drained gravelly-loam soils on northern or eastern exposures with moist cool air.

Other uses of the herb:

Wood - light, soft, fairly durable, not strong. Largely used for fuel, and occasionally for lumber, cases and pulp.

Propagation of Californian Red Fir:

Seed - sow early February in a greenhouse or outdoors in March. Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 - 8 weeks. Stratification is said to produce a more even germination so it is probably best to sow the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if it is well stored. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it is possible to sow in an outdoor seedbed. One report says that it is best to grow the seedlings on in the shade at a density of about 550 plants per square metre whilst another report says that they are best grown on in a sunny position.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry slopes and ridges, 1500 - 2700 metres. The best specimens are found in well-drained gravelly-loam soils on northern or eastern exposures with moist cool air.

Medicinal use of Californian Red Fir:

None known

Known hazards of Abies magnifica:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.