Scots Pine (Scotch Pine) vs Pacific Silver Fir - TreeTime.ca

Scots Pine (Scotch Pine) vs Pacific Silver Fir

Pinus sylvestris

Abies amabilis

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Scots Pine (Scotch Pine)
Pacific Silver Fir

Scots Pine is a hardy, adaptable evergreen. This large tree has an oval crown and distinctively orange bark when mature. Scots Pine prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil.

It is the most common pine tree used in shelterbelts and windbreaks. Scots Pine is also occasionally used as a Christmas tree variety.

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.
It provides ecological value as part of high-elevation forests, offering cover for wildlife and food from its seeds. It is harvested for timber and pulp, and it has been used ornamentally in some plantings.
Pacific Silver Fir is well suited for ecological restoration, naturalization, and habitat projects where native conifers are needed. Its latin name “Amabilis” means ‘Lovely’, due to its striking appearance.

Scots Pine (Scotch Pine) Quick Facts

Pacific Silver Fir Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5a
Height: 15 m (49 ft)
Height: 45 m (150 ft)
Spread: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
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

In row spacing: 3 - 4 m (10 - 12 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: BC
Other Names: scotch pine, scotts pine
Other Names: amabilis fir, silver fir