Noble Fir

Abies procera

Digital Photograph of Abies procera in the Noble Fir Avenue, taken in Woodstock Estate, Inistioge, County Kilkenny

Abies procera

Digital Photograph of Abies procera in the Noble Fir Avenue, taken in Woodstock Estate, Inistioge, County Kilkenny

Common Name: Noble Fir, Red Fir

Description: The Noble Fir is a typical fir with branches diverging from the trunk at right angles giving a typical 'Christmas Tree' look. The leaves are up to 3.5cm long by 1.5cn wide. The cones are very large, cylindrical in shape, green initially, they brown at maturity. They are between 16 -25 cm in length. The winged seeds are reddish brown. The tallest recorded is 89.9m high. The Noble Fir is
in terms of height and bulk the largest fir species.

Origin: The species is found at elevations up to 2700M in Washington, Oregon and California usually mixed with other conifers. It is exceptionally wind firm for such a large tree. In recent years, the Noble Fir has become familiar to many Irish families as a top of the range Christmas tree. This is due to the excellent shape and foliage of young trees and their liking for Ireland's maritime climate. Introduced to the British Isles around 1830 by David Douglas.