

Fir trees are evergreen conifers with short, flat needles and a narrow cone shape (you've seen them in Christmas tree lots); they prefer cool, moist growing conditions.
A fir tree’s classic conical shape—think of all the triangular Christmas trees you drew in kindergarten—also makes a striking silhouette in a landscape in a cool, moist region.
With 50 species (and many more cultivars) to choose among, you can find an Abies that will grow to heights ranging from 30 feet to 250; be sure to do some research before you commit to a fir tree to make sure your garden space will showcase its magnificence at maturity.
Some of our favorite species include the noble fir (Abies procera) with its symmetrically spaced branches and white fir (A. concolor), a drought-resistant tree native to much of the western United States.
Are you wondering what characteristics set a fir apart from pine and spruce trees (its cousins in the Pinaceae family), an easy way to identify Abies is to look closely at the spot where its needles are connected to a stem or branch. The base of each short, flat fir needle is attached individually (as opposed to pine needles, which are attached in clumps or two or more, or spruce needles, which feel rounder to the touch).
For more evergreen trees, see our curated design and plant care guides to Pine Trees, Arborvitae, and Yews.
v5.0
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Member benefits include:
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Subscriber benefits include:
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Subscriber benefits include:
Benefits include:
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Subscriber benefits include:
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Member benefits include:
If at any time you want to become a Subscriber and enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to all our content, just go to the My Account link and choose Subscribe.
Advertising funds our work at Gardenista and helps us provide you with a daily dose of garden inspiration & design. We hope you’ll consider disabling your adblocker for Gardenista so we can continue our mission: a well-designed garden for all.
Thank you for your support.