Abies koreana
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- AY-bees kor-ee-AH-nah
- Description
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Korean fir is an evergreen conifer in the pine family (Pinaceae) and is native to North and South Korea. The Genus name is Latin for tree. Specific epithet refers to its native range.
This fir will slowly grow 15-30 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide with a conical to pyramidal form. Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist well-drained soil. It is intolerant of wet sites and urban conditions. Korean fir does best in cooler climates but will tolerate some heat and humidity.
The short broad dark green needles have a silvery underside and are densely packed on the stems. The upright pink to purple cones are attractive against the needles and are produced on young trees.
It is commonly used as an ornamental yard tree, for screening and can also be used as a Christmas Tree. Because it has a shallow root system it is easy to transplant.
Korean fir won the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society as has the cultivar 'Silberlocke'.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Disease problems include root rot, needle rust and twig blight.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aurea'
Yellow needles with silver undersides, 25 ft tall - 'Blauer Eskimo'
Grey-green needles, 1 ft by 1 ft - 'Horstmann's Siberlocke'
Rolled foliage showing silver undersides - 'Silberlocke'
Needles curl upward to display silvery underside - 'Silver Locke'
Recurved needles showing silver undersides, 10 ft tall - 'Silver Show'
Rolled foliage showing silver undersides, 20 ft tall
- 'Aurea'
- 'Aurea', 'Blauer Eskimo', 'Horstmann's Siberlocke', 'Silberlocke', 'Silver Locke', 'Silver Show'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aurea'
Yellow needles with silver undersides, 25 ft tall - 'Blauer Eskimo'
Grey-green needles, 1 ft by 1 ft - 'Horstmann's Siberlocke'
Rolled foliage showing silver undersides - 'Silberlocke'
Needles curl upward to display silvery underside - 'Silver Locke'
Recurved needles showing silver undersides, 10 ft tall - 'Silver Show'
Rolled foliage showing silver undersides, 20 ft tall
- 'Aurea'
- 'Aurea', 'Blauer Eskimo', 'Horstmann's Siberlocke', 'Silberlocke', 'Silver Locke', 'Silver Show'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Abies
- Species:
- koreana
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South Korea
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- More heat tolerant than most firs; easy to transplant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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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:
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- This plant has cones. The cones can be light pink to purple and 2-3 inches long. The winged seeds are released when the cones disintegrate at maturity in the fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No flowers
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- White
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has 0.5 to 0.8 inch, gray-green or bright green needles with two, white, longitudinal stripes on the underside.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Bark Description:
- Smooth with resin blisters
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Pink
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- horizontal branches. The shoots are green-grey at first, maturing pinkish-grey, with scattered fine pubescence.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heat
