Abies amabilis

Pacific silver fir, Pacific Silver Fir, Pacific silver fir, Pacific silver fir

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Pacific silver fir is a native conifer found in western Siskiyou County in the Klamath Ranges within subalpine forest at elevations of 1,700 to 2,140 meters. A distinctive tree with a steeple-like mature crown, it produces small resinous buds and ash-gray bark that becomes increasingly scaly with age. Growing to a maximum height of 75 meters with a trunk up to 2.6 meters wide, this fir has dark green needles that spread in all directions, approximately 3 centimeters long with notched or blunt tips. Its needles are particularly notable for their uniform length and dark green coloration, with subtle grooves on the upper surface. Seed cones are compact, measuring less than 15 centimeters in length with bracts fully enclosed within the cone structure.

Habitat: Subalpine forest

Elevation: 1700-2140 m

Bioregions: KR (w Siskiyou Co., 2 populations)

California counties: Siskiyou, Mendocino, San Bernardino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.