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White Fir (Abies concolor)
Evergreen Trees (Conifers), Vegetation Around Las Vegas
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Tall, narrow trees with a pointy top; compare to Ponderosa Pine

General: White Fir (Abies concolor) is a coniferous (cone-bearing) tree with flat needles that radiate upward from the twigs. The cones, found only on the upper-most branches, are conical and stand up from the branches (cones of other conifers hang down). The cones fall apart when ripe, leaving upright "spindles" on the branches.

In southern Nevada, White Fir is a common component of the montane vegetation in the Canadian (Pine-Fir Forest) life zone. In southern Nevada, this species is the "Fir" in the "Pine-Fir Forest" and can be found in the highest mountains around Las Vegas (Spring, Sheep, Virgin, Clark, and New York mountains). This species is more common in mountain ranges to the north of Las Vegas.

Family: Pine (Pinaceae).

Other Names:

White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles bend up from the branches

Plant Form: Tall conifer, conical with pointed crown.

Height: To about 150 feet in the desert, to 200 feet elsewhere.

Trunk: To 3.5 ft diameter in the desert; to 9 feet elsewhere.

Bark: Smooth with resin blisters, gray-white; aging to dark brown; thick, deeply furrowed.

Branches: Young branches whorled. Leaf scars smooth, round.

White Fir (Abies concolor)
Cones stand upright on branches near the top of the tree

Needles: Pale blue-green or silvery, spreading and curved upward, flat, to 1- to 3.5-inches long; tip blunt.

Cones: Gray-green, 3 to 5 in., upright on branches near the top of the tree, spindle persistent.

Seeds:

Habitat: Higher-elevation mountain slopes and valleys.

Elevation: 3,000 to 10,000 feet.

Distribution: California to Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and south into northern Baja California. Around Las Vegas, they occur in the Spring, Sheep, and Virgin mountains.

Comments: This is the only species of true fir in southern Nevada.

White Fir (Abies concolor) White Fir (Abies concolor)
White Fir (Abies concolor) White Fir (Abies concolor)
White Fir (Abies concolor) White Fir (Abies concolor)
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Resin blisters under young bark
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Resin blisters under young bark
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Gray, furrowed bark near the base of an old tree
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Gray, furrowed bark near the base of an old tree
White Fir (Abies concolor) White Fir (Abies concolor)
White Fir (Abies concolor) White Fir (Abies concolor)
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles tend to bend upwards
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles tend to bend upwards
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles tend to bend upwards
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles tend to bend upwards
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles tend to bend upwards
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Needles tend to bend upwards
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Rarely, needles radiate around the stem (like Douglas Fir)
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Rarely, needles radiate around the stem (like Douglas Fir)
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Individual needles
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Individual needles
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Male cones occur throughout the tree on terminal twigs
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Male cones occur throughout the tree on terminal twigs
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Female cones upright in the tree tops
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Female cones upright in the tree tops
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Female cones upright in the tree tops; form on spindles
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Female cones upright in the tree tops; form on spindles
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Developing female cones on top of branches
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Developing female cones on top of branches
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Upright spindles remain after cone scales and seeds fall
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Upright spindles remain after cone scales and seeds fall
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Upright spindles remain after cone scales and seeds fall
White Fir (Abies concolor)
Upright spindles remain after cone scales and seeds fall
White Fir (Abies concolor)
During the mega-drought (2022), new needles are dying back
White Fir (Abies concolor)
During the mega-drought (2022), new needles are dying back

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
copyright; Last updated 220815

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