White Fir (Concolor Fir) vs Sitka Spruce - TreeTime.ca

White Fir (Concolor Fir) vs Sitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis

Abies concolor

CUSTOM GROW

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Sitka Spruce
White Fir (Concolor Fir)

Sitka Spruce is a native conifer and the largest spruce species in the world. It grows quickly and reaches impressive heights, often reaching more than 50 metres (164 feet) in suitable conditions. It has strong, durable wood that has long been recognised for its commercial value.

It contributes to soil stability and plays an important role in coastal ecosystems. It offers cover and nesting sites for birds and small animals, and its seeds provide food for wildlife such as songbirds and small mammals.

Sitka Spruce plays a role in reforestation and ecological restoration projects in Coastal BC. The Wright Brothers used Sitka Spruce wood to build the frames of their first flying machines.

White Fir is an attractive, cold hardy tree that is known for its excellent adaptation to difficult sites. Also a favorite among Christmas tree growers, this tree has high needle retention, dense foliage, and a beautiful pyramidal shape.

You'll love the silver blue-green color that pops on a winter landscape. Try planting in your front yard as a stunning specimen or ornamental tree.

Sitka Spruce Quick Facts

White Fir (Concolor Fir) Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3a
Height: 61 m (200 ft)
Height: 18 m (60 ft)
Spread: 11 m (35 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, conical
Spreading: seeds - low, layering - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Bark: thin, flaky, gray-brown to gray-purple
Cones: Reddish-brown, papery cones
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: BC
Other Names: coast spruce, tideland spruce