Western White Pine vs Pacific Silver Fir - TreeTime.ca

Western White Pine vs Pacific Silver Fir

Abies amabilis

Pinus monticola

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Pacific Silver Fir
Western White Pine

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.

The Western White Pine is long-long lived conifer that featuring a narrow, open, conical crown of horizontal branches with blue-green needles. It is native to the Pacific Northwest in the mountain region. As a timber species the Western White Pine is highly valued. This evergreen is similar to the Eastern White Pine, but has stiffer needles, the growth is more dense, and it tends to have larger cones.

Pacific Silver Fir Quick Facts

Western White Pine Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3b
Height: 45 m (150 ft)
Height: 30 m (100 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: any
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, conical
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: none


Bark: smooth, grey
Cones: purplish, disintegrate as they mature
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: BC
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: amabilis fir, silver fir
Other Names: idaho white pine, mountain white pine, silver pine