Abies alba
European silver fir · also Silver fir
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Abies alba, also known as European silver fir, is a large coniferous tree native to the mountains of southern and central Europe. It has a pyramidal shape when young, maturing to a flat-topped crown, and features dark green needles with silver undersides. This long-lived species tolerates shade and acidic soils but is sensitive to frost, wind, and air pollution, making it best suited for large open spaces.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 2700.04%—10 in
- 1080.01%—1.1 in
- 590.02%—9.4 in
- 280.00%—8.5 in
- 230.05%—1.0 in
- 200.01%29 yr9.7 in
- 60.00%—2.8 in
- 50.00%—14 in
- 40.00%—22 in
- 40.00%—51 in
- 30.00%—2.0 in
- 10.00%—4.0 in
Traits
- Form
- Conifer
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 50–100 ft
- Canopy spread
- 11–20 ft
- Sun
- Part shade, Full shade
- Soil
- Acidic
- Water needs
- High
- Pollution tolerance
- Low
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 7.9 in, mean 9.3 in, 90th percentile 19 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- Balkan mixed forests
- Central European mixed forests
- Dinaric Mountains mixed forests
- European Atlantic mixed forests
- Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Alps conifer and mixed forests
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub
- Northeast Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests
Other Abies in the catalogue
20 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
