Simon and Schuster's Guide to Trees

Chapter 1 1 ABIES ALBASilver FirFamilyPinaceae.EvergreenEtymologyFrom the Latinabire,to go away, used here in the sense of distance from the ground to refer to the height that some species attain.Albameans white.HabitatGrows in the mountains of central and southern Europe.DescriptionA tree up to 60 m (195 ft) tall with a straight, columnar trunk and smooth, ashy-white bark with resin sacs when young, later cracking and secreting resin. The leaves (1) grow in two opposite rows; they are 2-3 cm (about 1 in) long, dark green but rather lighter above, with two silver-white stomatic lines on the underside which give the tree its name of Silver Fir. The cones are erect and greenish brown, the scales have a characteristic outgrowth and fall when ripe, leaving the axis bare on the tree. (2, 3) male and female flowers. The little firs of the Apennines are not natural growths; their survival is attributed to cultivation, to the care and protection given them in past centuries by monastic orders such as those of Camaldoli, Vallombrosa, La Verna and Serra San Bruno.PropagationBy seed; shoots can only be obtained if treated with rooting hormones (auxin).Conditions for growthPrefers climates with high rainfall, limited temperature range and cool, deep soil.2 ABIES BALSAMEABalsam Fir, Balm of GileadFamilyPinaceae.EvergreenEtymologyFrom its ability to produce Canada balsam, used as a cement for glass in optical instruments.HabitatNative to Canada, from 'Alberta to Labrador and to the Atlantic slopes of the United States. It was introduced into Europe in 1697.DescriptionA. Balsameacan reach a height of 25 m (80 ft). The bark is brownish gray; in young specimens it has resiniferous sacs containing a yellowish oleoresin which thickens with time and is used in microscopy and optics under the name of Canada balsam. The leaves (1) are pointed, 2-3 cm (about 1 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide, sometimes glossy, sometimes grooved, grayish on the upper side; as with all firs, they leave a round scar on the branch when they fall. The male flowers are greenish yellow tinged with pink, the female are pale yellow. Like all firs,A. balsameahas erect cones with overlapping scales. They are 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long, green-gray, dark blue or olive at first, turning lavender-brown. Some varieties are very decorative.PropagationBy seed, the method most commonly used for all species ofAbies.The cones should be gathered in late autumn and kept dry.Conditions for growthThe tree is hardy and tolerates cold climates well.3 ABIES CEPHALONICAGreek FirFamilyPinaceae.EvergreenEtymologyThe species is named after the island of Cephalonia.HabitatPresent in all the uplands of Greece and the Peloponnese as far as the Albanian border, and on the islands of Cephalonia and Euboea.DescriptionA very decorative species, broadly conical, seldom taller than 25 m (80 ft), with branches in regular whorls and dense, smooth, light-brown branchlets. The leaves are 2-3 cm (about 1 in) long, sharply pointed and scented; the upper side is glossy green and on the underside there are two silvery stripes, composed of stomata, separate from the venation. The cones are erect, 15-20 cm (6-8 in) long, rather slender and brownish. The bark is gray brown; it is smooth on young trees but on old trunks it begins to crack into elongated plates. The tree has a denser crown and tolerates the summer heat better than the majority of firs.PropagationBy seed; sometimes by grafting. When the cones open in the spring following the autumn in which they were gathered, the triangular seeds should be sown in a seedbed as soon as possible.Conditions for growthTolerates lime in the soil and also fairly arid climates.4 ABIES NORDMANNIANACaucasian FirFSchuler, Stanley is the author of 'Simon and Schuster's Guide to Trees' with ISBN 9780671241254 and ISBN 0671241257.