Abies procera

Abies procera, known as noble fir, is a magnificent evergreen conifer in the family Pinaceae, order Pinales. Native to the Cascade Range and Coast Ranges of Oregon and Washington, with a small extension into northern California, noble fir grows at elevations of 900 to 2,100 meters in the subalpine zone. It is one of the tallest North American conifers, frequently exceeding 45 meters in height, with the tallest recorded individuals surpassing 80 meters. The trunk is straight and columnar, and the crown is narrowly conic with strongly whorled horizontal branches. Bark is smooth and gray with prominent resin blisters on young trees, developing a deep, reddish-brown, plated pattern in mature specimens. Needles are blue-green to silvery-blue, four-sided in cross-section, and twisted to display the stomatal bands on both upper and lower surfaces — contributing to the overall glaucous, silvery appearance of the foliage. Noble fir produces the largest cones of any North American fir, measuring 10 to 25 centimeters in length, cylindrical and erect, with distinctive exserted, reflexed bract scales that cover much of the cone surface, giving it a shaggier appearance than other firs. The cones disintegrate at maturity. Noble fir timber is valued for its strength and light weight, historically used in aircraft construction. Branches and foliage are commercially harvested for Christmas wreaths, and the tree is cultivated as a Christmas tree. It is also grown ornamentally in botanic gardens.