Abies grandis

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Abies grandis
Grand fir

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Abies
Species:
A. grandis
Binomial name
Abies grandis
Natural range of Abies grandis
green - A. grandis ssp. grandis
blue - A. grandis ssp. idahoensis

Abies grandis (grand fir, giant fir, lowland white fir, great silver fir, western white fir, Vancouver fir, or Oregon fir) is a fir native to northwestern North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to 1,700 metres (5,600 ft). It is a major constituent of the Grand Fir/Douglas Fir Ecoregion of the Cascade Range.

The tree typically grows to 40–70 m (130–230 ft) in height, and may be the tallest Abies species in the world. There are two varieties, the taller coast grand fir, found west of the Cascade Mountains, and the shorter interior grand fir, found east of the Cascades. It was first described in 1831 by David Douglas.[2]

It is closely related to

white fir. The bark was historically believed to have medicinal properties, and it is popular in the United States as a Christmas tree. Its lumber is a softwood, and it is harvested as a hem fir. It is used in paper-making, as well as construction for framing
and flooring, where it is desired for its resistance to splitting and splintering.

Description

The bottom (left) and top (right) of the foliage

Abies grandis is a large

coplanar
.

Cones

The green-to-reddish cones are 6–12 cm (2+1⁄4–4+3⁄4 in) long[3] and 3.5–4.5 cm (1+1⁄2–1+3⁄4 in) broad, with about 100–150 scales; the scale bracts are short, and hidden in the closed cone. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity about 6 months after pollination.[1]

Varieties

Old-growth copse in inland Oregon

There are two varieties, probably better treated at subspecies rank though not yet formally published as such:

  • Abies grandis var. grandis. Coast grand fir. Coastal lowland forests, at sea level to 900 m altitude, from Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia, south to Sonoma County, California. A large, very fast-growing tree to 70 m tall. Foliage strongly flattened on all shoots. Cones slightly narrower (mostly less than 4 cm broad), with thinner, fairly flexible scales. Tolerates winter temperatures down to about -25° to -30 °C; growth on good sites may exceed 1.5 m per year when young.[1]
  • Abies grandis var. idahoensis. Interior grand fir. Interior forests, at (600–) 900–1800 m altitude, on the east slope of the Cascades in Washington and in the Rocky Mountains from southeast British Columbia south to central Idaho, northeast Oregon and western Montana. A smaller, slow-growing tree to 40–45 m tall. Foliage not strongly flattened on all shoots, the leaves often raised above the shoot, particularly on upper crown shoots. Cones slightly stouter (mostly over 4 cm broad), with thicker, slightly woody scales. Tolerates winter temperatures down to about -40 °C; growth on good sites not exceeding 0.6 m per year even when young.[1]

Grand fir is very closely related to

white fir (Abies concolor), and intergrades with it in central Oregon. Firs of the Blue Mountains and Oregon East Cascade Slope are intermediate between the two species in genetics and appearance. The intergrades are often referred to as "Abies grandis x concolor", a variety which itself intergrades into Abies concolor lowiana farther south, around the California state line.[4][5][6]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Scottish botanical explorer David Douglas, who in 1830 brought its seeds back to Britain;[3] in 1831 he described specimens he had collected along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The coastal variety of grand fir grows in temperate rainforest environments along the Pacific coast from southwest

Douglas-fir.[3]

Ecology

Due to

crown fires.[3] Grand fir's bark is thinner than that of white fir, making the former species more susceptible to threats like fire and rot.[3]

Specimens have historically been able to live up to nearly 300 years, but in modern stressed conditions, 100 years is more typical.

western spruce budworm epidemics killed sizable populations of grand fir in the eastern Cascades and Blue Mountains.[3] The lack of an ability to use pitch to patch wounds, including those from logging and small fires, provides a weakness exploited by rot fungi.[3] East of the Cascade ridge, grand fir trunks are infected by Indian paint fungus, indicating a rotten core; such specimens are often waterlogged and thus crack apart in freezing weather.[3]

Pileated woodpeckers search grand and white firs for insects and places to nest. Rotten cores open shelters for various animals, including black bears.[3]

Uses

The boughs create a rain shelter for humans.[3]

Native Americans used both grand fir and white fir, powdering the bark or pitch to treat tuberculosis or skin ailments;

colds and fever.[7]
The Okanagan-Colville tribe used the species as a strengthening drug to nullify the feeling of weakness.[8]

The foliage has an attractive

Christmas decorations in the United States, including Christmas trees, although its stiff branches do not allow it to be economically packed.[3]
It is also planted as an ornamental tree in large parks.

Timber

Trunk cross-section

The lumber is non-resinous and fine textured.[2] In the North American logging industry, the grand fir is often referred to as "hem fir", with hem fir being a number of species with interchangeable types of wood (specifically the

Pacific silver fir, white fir, and western hemlock). Grand fir is often shipped along with these other species. It can also referred to as "white fir" lumber, an umbrella term also referring to Abies amabilis, Abies concolor, and Abies magnifica
.

Lumber from the grand fir is considered a

span requirements of numerous construction projects.[9]

As a hem fir, the trunk of the grand fir is considered slightly below the "Douglas fir-

modulus of elasticity value as a stiffness factor in floor systems (denoted as MOE or E) is stronger than all other western species combinations. Hem fir is preferred by many builders because of its ability to hold and not be split by nails and screws, and its low propensity for splintering when sawed.[9]

Notable specimens

In February 2022, a coast grand fir growing south of Bergen was found to be Norway's tallest tree with height of 53.7 m (176 ft).[10]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T42284A2969709.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Brochure: White Fir Facts" (PDF). SPI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
  3. ^
    OCLC 1141235469
    .
  4. ISSN 1385-0237
    .
  5. ISSN 0305-1978
    .
  6. ^ Kauffmann, Michael (2012). Conifer Country. Backcountry Press. pp. 35–38.
  7. ISBN 0-295-97119-3
    .
  8. OCLC 8519706
    .
  9. ^ a b "Hem-Fir species group". Western Woods Products Association. March 1997. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  10. ^ "The thickest, tallest, and oldest trees in Norway".

External links

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