Abies grandis
Grand fir is a majestic evergreen that makes an excellent screen or windbreak, intercepts stormwater through evapotranspiration, provides erosion control, and supports insects and wildlife.
Birds, including hummingbirds, and mammals adore this tree for roosting, nesting, and foraging. It also supports beneficial, pest-eating insects! Its glossy blue-green needles are arranged in flat sprays on opposite sides of the twig and have a fragrant tangerine smell when crushed.
- Plant type/canopy layer: evergreen, perennial, overstory/large tree
- Size at maturity: 150 - 200 feet tall, 30 - 40 feet wide
- Light requirements: full sun, part-sun/part-shade, full shade
- Moisture requirements: prefers moist, well-drained soil but can tolerate dry to seasonably wet
- Growth rate/ease: medium growth rate, easy to grow
- Wildlife support: Hummingbirds, pest-eating Insects, birds and mammals
- Native range: Native to and common in low to mid elevations in mixed evergreen forests of the Blue, Wallow, Cascade and Coast Ranges, the East Cascades, and the Willamette Valley; south to CA, north to British Columbia, and northeast to MT. Portland Plant List - yes.
- Special features & uses: evergreen, insect/wildlife favorite, erosion control
Gardening with Grand Fir: Grand fir thrives in full sun to part shade (though it can grow in full shade as well) in moist, well-drained soils. Though it tolerates both dry and seasonable wet soil, in the driest areas of your yard it may need a small amount of supplemental water in summer, especially while becoming established. Be sure to provide this tree with plenty of room to grow, as its lower branches can reach to 20 feet in diameter, and it can reach a height of about 250 feet.
Photo Credit 1: "File:Abies grandis needles.jpg" by BetacommandBot is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo Credit 2: "File:Abies grandis crown youngtree.jpg" by MPF is licensed under CC BY 3.0
Photo Credit 3: "File:Abies grandis youngtrees.jpg" by MPF is licensed under CC BY 3.0