Norway Spruce vs Pacific Silver Fir - TreeTime.ca

Norway Spruce vs Pacific Silver Fir

Abies amabilis

Picea abies

CUSTOM GROW

Pacific Silver Fir
Norway Spruce

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.

Norway Spruce is a large, openly branched evergreen recognized by its drooping branchlets and large cones. This hardy, adaptable tree thrives in moist conditions, but will grow in clay or sandy soils.

Norway Spruce is the fastest growing spruce we carry but it's not as dense as other spruce trees.

It is sometimes used as a Christmas tree.

Pacific Silver Fir Quick Facts

Norway Spruce Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $2.29 - SAVE UP TO 44%
Zone: 5a
Zone: 2a
Height: 45 m (150 ft)
Height: 18 m (60 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, conical
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: none


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


In row spacing: 3 m (10 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: BC
Other Names: amabilis fir, silver fir
Other Names: european spruce