Abies concolor
White fir, White Fir
(c) Mike Heine, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Pinaceae · Type: Tree · Native
Abies concolor (White fir) is a native California tree in the Pinaceae family, recognized by longest needles and distinctive bark pattern.
White fir is a California native tree found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountains, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Modoc Plateau, northern eastern Sierra Nevada, and desert mountains in mixed-conifer to lower red-fir forest at elevations of 900 to 3,100 meters. Its mature form features a distinctive rounded crown with bark that transitions from white-gray in youth to gray-brown and deeply furrowed with alternate dark and light layers in age. Growing to heights of up to 61 meters with thick, glabrous twigs, this conifer has needles 3 to 9 centimeters long that grow in two distinct ranks, twisting upward on higher branches. Its leaves are approximately flat with blunt or acute tips, creating a dense, symmetrical foliage pattern. The tree produces seed cones 7 to 13 centimeters long, nestled among its distinctive branching structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 6 species; longest needles and distinctive bark pattern
Habitat and range
Habitat: Mixed-conifer to lower red-fir forest
Elevation: 900-3100 m
California counties: Humboldt, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Kern, Inyo, Fresno, Modoc, Los Angeles, Nevada, Madera, Mono, Butte, Plumas, Lake, Amador, Mendocino, Mariposa, Riverside, Lassen, Alpine, Ventura, Siskiyou, Trinity, Tuolumne, Tehama, Tulare, San Diego, Calaveras, Sierra, Shasta, Del Norte, Placer, Glenn, Alameda, Colusa, Santa Barbara, Kings
Outside California: to central Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, northern Baja California
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudotsuga: Fir cones stand upright and disintegrate on tree; Douglas-fir cones hang down with pitchfork bracts and fall intact.; vs Pinus: Fir needles attach individually to smooth twigs; pine needles come bundled in groups of 2-5.; vs Picea: Fir twigs are smooth after needle drop; spruce twigs have rough, persistent peg-like bumps.; vs Sequoia: Fir has individual flat needles and upright cones; redwood has flat sprays of scale-like leaves and small round cones.; vs Cedrus: Fir needles attach individually to smooth twigs; cedar needles grow in dense rosettes on short shoots with barrel-shaped cones.
Frequently asked questions
Is Abies concolor native to California?
Yes. Abies concolor is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Abies concolor grow?
Abies concolor occurs in Humboldt, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Kern, Inyo, Fresno, Modoc, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 900-3100 m.
What plant family does Abies concolor belong to?
Abies concolor is in the Pinaceae family, genus Abies.
What habitat does Abies concolor grow in?
Abies concolor grows in Mixed-conifer to lower red-fir forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.