Abies magnifica

California red fir, California Red Fir

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

California red fir is a native conifer found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in mixed conifer and subalpine forest at elevations of 1,500 to 2,700 meters. Growing majestic trees up to 57 meters tall with a cylindric crown and rounded top, this species develops distinctive gray bark with dark reddish ridges that becomes deeply furrowed with age. Its needles are bluish-green, approximately 3 centimeters long, and uniquely arranged in a flattened, almost four-sided pattern with white bands visible on the upper surface. The needles have a characteristic blunt or slightly notched tip, creating a soft, dense appearance across the tree's branches. Seed cones are impressive, measuring 9 to 23 centimeters long and hanging vertically from the branches in an oblong or cylindrical shape.

California counties: Placer, Fresno, Mono, Modoc, Mariposa, Madera, Nevada, Mendocino, El Dorado, Butte, Amador, Alpine, Plumas, Tulare, Siskiyou, Sierra, Trinity, Tuolumne, Inyo, Shasta, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Tehama, Lassen, Calaveras, Del Norte

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