Compact White Fir Abies concolor 'Compacta'
- Phonetic Spelling
- A-bees KON-kol-or
- Description
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Compact White Fir is a dwarf cultivar of the white fir and belongs to the pine family (Pinaceae). As the parent is native to the mountains of the western USA, it will require cool summers and long winter conditions
It has a dense compact and irregular form growing only 3-6 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide. It can be left to its natural irregular shape or be pruned round or conical. It grows slowly and does best in full sun to part shade in moist rich well-drained soils. Avoid heavy clay, wet sites and humid conditions.
The needles have a lovely blue-green color and the upright cones are brown to purple. The blue color contrasts nicely with greener plants.
Use in a rock garden, in the border, as a specimen, as a foundation plant or even in a container.
This tree won the Award of Garden of Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Relatively problem-free. Watch for aphids. See pests of conifers to the left.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Abies
- Species:
- concolor
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- Deer resistant
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Rarely browsed by deer.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 6 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Dense
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Cones 3 to 6 inches long, upright, brown-purple, appearing on the branches after the plant is 40 or more years old.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No Flowers
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has 2- to 3-inch attractive, sickle-shaped needles. The needles can be powder blue, blue-green, bright green, or gray-blue.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Gray
- Bark Description:
- Smooth ash-gray bark furrows with age.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Lawn
- Small Space
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
