Nordmann Fir - A Great Landscape Tree 



^ D.. d:ii ti I 



By Bill Thomas 



Each Christmas many people 

 ask why more fir trees are not 

 grown, having in mind Bal- 

 sam and Fraser Firs (Abies 

 balsameaand A. fraseri), two 

 popular Pennsylvania Christ- 

 mas trees. The simple answer is that the 

 two species do not grow well in areas 

 with hot summers. After twenty years 

 both these firs are usually scale-infested 

 and in general decline. For this reason, 

 all firs are considered suspect. 



Nordmann Fir, Abies nordmanni- 

 ana, in contrast, looks great at age 20, 

 40, and even 60. Like humans, it tends 

 to look better the older it is. The plant 

 actually is never unattractive, young or 

 old. 



The prettiest aspect of the tree is its 

 dark green needles. They are soft to the 

 touch, not unlike a fur coat, and quite 

 shiny. The undersides are a bright sil- 

 ver. 



Firs are difficult to distinguish from 

 each other, but several characteristics 

 help make Nordmann Fir distinctive. 

 The needles lie almost fiat on the twig, 

 as if they were combed to point towards 

 the tip of the shoot. The twig itself is 

 covered with brown hairs, and the buds 

 are pointed, without resin. 



The narrowly pyramidal tree is a 

 size that fits average suburban lots. The 

 plant's height reaches 50-60 feet, with a 

 spread of about 20 feet. Average growth 

 is about one foot a year. 



Nordmann Fir is hardy in USDA 

 zones 5 through 7. It grows naturally 

 with Picea orientalis, the Oriental 

 Spruce, in the Caucasus Mountains of 

 southeastern Europe. It is generally a 

 very healthy tree, but scale insects are 

 occasionally a problem. Oil or soap 

 sprays in winter or summer usually 

 control any infestation. 



This coniferous tree deserves to be 

 grown in more gardens. It is rare in the 

 nursery trade and should receive greater 

 attention. There are a few cultivars that 

 have been named that include: 

 Abies nordmanniana 'Golden 

 Spreader': A dwarf, spreading, fiat- 

 topped selection with clear yellow col- 

 oration. May turn orange during the 

 winter months. 



Abies nordmanniana 'Pendula': A pen- 

 dulous form that had its origins in 

 England in the late 1800's. Probably a 

 lateral scion graft which never devel- 

 oped a leader. 



Abies nordmanniana 'Tortifolia': An 

 upright grower with irregular twisted 

 needle. Of average growth rate, like the 

 species.^ 



This article is written by Bill Thomas 

 from Longwood Gardens. Kennett 



Square, Pennsylvania, and was pub- 

 lished in the Winter, 1990, American 

 Conifer Society Bulletin. The American 

 Conifer Society is a relatively new or- 

 ganization whose purposes include: the 

 development, conservation and propa- 

 gation of conifers with emphasis on 

 those that are dwarf and/or unusual, 

 standardization of conifer nomencla- 

 ture, and the education of the public. 

 Currently there are 900 members. 



New Hampshire Plant 

 Hardiness Zone Map 



Adapted from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 1990. 

 John Hart, Thompson School, University of New Hampshire 

 25 



