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Plants that fill a similar niche:
Abies fraseri Abies fraseri tree
Distylium Distylium
Tsuga heterophylla Form
Abies firma has some common insect problems:
Pests of Conifers

Japanese Fir Abies firma

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
AY-bees FIR-mah
Description

Moni Fir is a needled evergreen conifer in the pine (Pinaceae) family that is native to hills and mountain slopes in central to southern Japan. The genus name is Latin for tree and the specific epithet is a reference to firm needles.

Moni fir will grow 40-70 feet tall in cultivation, up to 150 feet tall in its native habitat and 30-40 feet wide. It has a conical-pyramidal form. Plant in full sun or with some afternoon shade in average, consistently moist and slightly acidic soil. It is tolerant of clay soils. This fir is more tolerant of hot humid climates than most firs are and can be grown in the southeast. 

The needles on this fir are strongly two-ranked on one side of the branch similar to a comb. Young needles have 2 sharp spines at the tips. The seed cones are held upright as is common for firs.

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:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#shade tree#full sun tolerant#conical#needles#large tree#slow growing#fine texture#bonsai#disease resistant#needled evergreen#screening#Braham Arboretum#evergreen tree#wet soils tolerant#poor drainage tolerant#accent
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#shade tree#full sun tolerant#conical#needles#large tree#slow growing#fine texture#bonsai#disease resistant#needled evergreen#screening#Braham Arboretum#evergreen tree#wet soils tolerant#poor drainage tolerant#accent
  • 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.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Columnar
    Conical
    Open
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Fine
  • 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
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Length:
    > 3 inches
    Fruit Description:
    No fruits but produces cones. 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.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Description:
    No flowers.
  • 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 to 1.5 inches long, dark green, fragrant, flattened, spreading at nearly right angles from the shoot and strongly two-ranked. Needles are notched at the base and sharply pointed at the tip. They are bright green above, and greyish-green below with two, broad, longitudinal stripes.
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Woodland
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Screen/Privacy
    Shade Tree
    Specimen
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Heat
    Humidity
    Wet Soil