Noble Fir

Noble fir (Abies procera, Pinaceae) is a fast-growing native conifer of the Cascade and Coast Range mountains from Washington to northwest California, reaching 50 to 100 feet in cultivation (up to 270 feet in the wild). It develops a strikingly symmetrical pyramidal form with a spread of about 16 feet. Blue-green needles have whitish stomatal lines on both surfaces and a distinctive hockey-stick curve at the base. Cones are massive (14 to 25 centimeters) with prominent reflexed bracts, green when young and purple-brown at maturity.

Noble fir grows in sun to part shade on well-drained soils (pH 6.0 to 7.5) with low water needs and low drought tolerance, hardy in Zones 5a to 8b. It performs best with a short, cool growing season and heavy precipitation (64 to 120 inches annually). It reaches about 25 feet at 20 years. Disease pressure is significant, with 17 documented associations including needle cast, root rot, and broom rust. Pest associations include balsam woolly adelgid and spruce budworm. Cultivars include 'Glauca Prostrata' (spreading dwarf), 'Blaue Hexe,' 'Jeddeloh,' 'Glauca' (bluish needles), and 'Sherwoodi' (yellow needles).