Siberian Fir vs Pacific Silver Fir - TreeTime.ca

Siberian Fir vs Pacific Silver Fir

Abies sibirica

Abies amabilis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

(new stock expected: fall of 2027)

CUSTOM GROW

Siberian Fir
Pacific Silver Fir

Siberian Fir is an evergreen tree best known for its strong aroma. This tree's needles are popular for essential oils and aromatherapy. It also grows softwood that is used for furniture and wood pulp. This species is very cold hardy and shade tolerant.

This species is bright green and conical shaped. Most interesting is its upright blue cones that fade into brown as they mature.

Pacific Silver Fir is a tall evergreen tree native to the Pacific Northwest. It has two-toned needles, dark green on top with silvery undersides, giving the tree a distinctive appearance. The straight trunk and dense, symmetrical crown make it a striking forest species.

Pacific Silver Fir thrives in cool, moist, high-elevation forests. It is the most shade-tolerant of the true firs and among the most shade-tolerant of all native conifers, allowing it to grow beneath the canopy of older trees. It provides cover for wildlife and food from its seeds, while also contributing to the structure and stability of mountain forest ecosystems.

The species is harvested for timber and pulp and has been used ornamentally in some plantings. Well-suited for ecological restoration, naturalization, and habitat projects where native conifers are needed. Pacific Silver Fir lives up to its Latin name, amabilis, meaning “lovely,” in recognition of its striking appearance.

Siberian Fir Quick Facts

Pacific Silver Fir Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5a
Height: 30 m (100 ft)
Height: 45 m (150 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Light: partial shade
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, conical
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: none


Bark: smooth, mostly brown with green in places
Bark: smooth, grey
Flowers: bright pink cone-like
Cones: long and cylindrical cones, turning from blue to brown
Cones: purplish, disintegrate as they mature
Seeds: cones break up into triangular seeds
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: BC
Other Names: amabilis fir, silver fir