Amabilis fir is a tall, straight tree that grows in British Columbia’s (B.C.) coastal forests. Due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, it is used in structural products throughout residential and commercial construction. Applications include framing, sheathing, sub-flooring, concrete forms, decking, planking, beams, posts and prefabricated buildings.
Amabilis fir is commonly sold and shipped together with western hemlock as hem-fir. It is an attractive species with good working properties, so high-grade amabilis fir is often used for interior applications.
Where it grows
Amabilis fir, also known as Pacific silver fir, is found across B.C.’s coastal area with the exception of Haida Gwaii. It usually grows above 300 metres in elevation except in the north where it can be found at sea level.
Amabilis fir is shade tolerant, so it grows well in mixed-species stands, mainly with western hemlock, mountain hemlock, yellow cedar and western red cedar. It can tolerate summer drought, but its water demands are probably the largest for any evergreen tree in B.C. and it needs adequate moisture during the early growing season.
Did you know?
Amabilis fir is very productive on a wide range of sites as long as it is not too warm and there is enough water. Its productivity results from large leaf biomass, shade tolerance, low crown spatial requirements, low taper and thin bark.
Identifiable characteristics
Amabilis fir is a medium- to large-sized tree that can reach 50 metres when mature, and can live to be over 500 years-old. It has smooth, pale grey bark with blisters of pitch and that becomes scaly with age. At maturity, it has a low-taper stem and narrow symmetrical crown with lateral branches perpendicular to the stem.
Its needles have blunt ends and are usually notched at the tip. They are dark green with a groove on the upper surface and two silvery bands on the lower surface. The needles are arranged in flattened, spray-like branches, with the longer needles spread horizontally from the bottom and sides of a twig and the shorter ones on the top point forward.
The deep purple seed cones are held upright on branches on the top of the tree. They fall apart while still on the tree, leaving a central spike that is visible into winter. Pollen cones are reddish.
