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Abies koreana is often confused with:
Abies concolor 'Compacta' Compact white form
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Abies lasiocarpa Cones
Juniperus scopulorum Form
x Hesperotropsis leylandii × Cupressocyparis leylandii
Abies koreana has some common insect problems:
Pests of Conifers
Abies koreana has some other problems:
White-Tailed Deer

Abies koreana

Phonetic Spelling
AY-bees kor-ee-AH-nah
Description

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:
  • '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', 'Blauer Eskimo', 'Horstmann's Siberlocke', 'Silberlocke', 'Silver Locke', 'Silver Show'
Tags:
#evergreen#full sun tolerant#heat tolerant#gray leaves#silver leaves#purple flowers#pink flowers#slow growing#pyramidal#conifer#transplant#showy cones#screening#gray-green leaves
 
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', 'Blauer Eskimo', 'Horstmann's Siberlocke', 'Silberlocke', 'Silver Locke', 'Silver Show'
Tags:
#evergreen#full sun tolerant#heat tolerant#gray leaves#silver leaves#purple flowers#pink flowers#slow growing#pyramidal#conifer#transplant#showy cones#screening#gray-green leaves
  • 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.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Pyramidal
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    No flowers
  • 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.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Dark Gray
    Bark Description:
    Smooth with resin blisters
  • 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.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Lawn
    Landscape Theme:
    Cottage Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Screen/Privacy
    Specimen
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Heat