Japanese Fir Abies firma
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- AY-bees FIR-mah
- Description
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Moni Fir is a needled evergreen conifer in the Pinaceae family that is native to Japan. It can grow to 70 feet or taller with a broad conical crown. This fir is more tolerant of hot humid climates than most firs are and can be grown in the southeast.
Plant in full sun or with some afternoon shade in average, consistently moist and slightly acidic soil. It is tolerant of clay soils. Use a specimen for a large yard, screening or as a Christmas tree.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: None serious. Possible insects are bark beetles, spruce budworms, aphids, bagworms, spider mites and scale. Potential disease problems include cankers, heart rot, root rot, needle rust, and twig blight.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Asian Garden- Pathway
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Abies
- Species:
- firma
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used as bonsai and Christmas trees. Wood is used for timber, flooring, crates, and paper pulp
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Japan
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Is immune to the balsam woolly adelgid which can be a problem for other species of fir. It is resistant to phytopthora root rot.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Conical
- Open
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Seed cones are 3 to 6 inches long, conical, erect on branches and showy through the summer. In autumn, the cone breaks apart releasing the seeds and leaving only the central axis of the cone on the tree. The pollen cones are 1.3 inches long and droop from the leaf axils.
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Flowers:
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- No flowers.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Shape:
- Filiform
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Needles 0.8 to1.5 inches long, dark green, fragrant, flattened, spreading at nearly right angles from the shoot. Needles are notched at base; sharply pointed at the tip. They are bright green above, and greyish-green below with two, broad, longitudinal stripes.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Fissured
- Ridges
- Scaly
- Shredding
- Spongy
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Irregular
- Bark Description:
- The bark is scaly grey-brown, with resin blisters on young trees. Becomes scaly, fissured and corky with age.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Young branches are ascending but become horizontal with age. The shoots are grooved, buff to grey-brown, glabrous or finely pubescent
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Screen/Privacy
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heat
- Humidity
- Wet Soil
