Subalpine fir

Abies lasiocarpa

Subalpine fir is common in many Interior British Columbia forests. It grows well at high elevations, from 600 to 2,250 metres throughout most of the Interior. It also grows near sea level on the north coast. None of the true firs grow in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Needles have blunt ends and are often notched at the tip. They are blue-green with a single white band on the top and two beneath. Needles all tend to turn upwards, but often a few stick out from the underside of the branch. Seed cones are deep purple and grow upright at the top of the crown. Like the cones of the other firs, they disintegrate on the tree, leaving a central spike. Pollen cones are bluish. Smooth and grey, with resin blisters when young; bark becomes broken into large scales with age.