Eastern White Pine vs Pacific Silver Fir - TreeTime.ca

Eastern White Pine vs Pacific Silver Fir

Pinus strobus

Abies amabilis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Eastern White Pine
Pacific Silver Fir

Eastern White Pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It is the provincial tree of Ontario.

This long-lived, rapid growing giant is known for its long, flexible blue-green needles. Eastern White Pine is low-maintenance and makes a beautiful ornamental tree suitable for large properties and parks.

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.

Eastern White Pine Quick Facts

Pacific Silver Fir Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 30 m (98 ft)
Height: 45 m (150 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, conical
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: none


Bark: gray furrowed bark
Bark: smooth, grey
Cones: long slender cones
Cones: purplish, disintegrate as they mature
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: BC
Other Names: northern white pine, soft pine, weymouth pine, white pine
Other Names: amabilis fir, silver fir