Korean Fir (Abies koreana)
This Fir is slightly more heat tolerant than other Firs but still does best in the cooler settings. It is a bit smaller than the White Fir. The needles of this neat, slow-growing tree are dark green above and white below. The cones, violet purple in color, appear from an early age. Its annual growth rate is less than 12 inches.
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2005 Gold Medal Plant Winner
A loosely pyramidal evergreen tree identified by its short, plump needles that are green on top with a silver-lined underside. Small dark-violet cones, appearing in spring, mimic flowers at first glance. The Korean Fir is more heat-tolerant than other Abies. Although useful as a screen, it deserves a more respectable position as a specimen or accent tree. Grows to 25'H x 10'W in acid soil. Prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade. Hardy in zones 5 to 7. This tree was selected by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to be one of their 2005 Gold Medal Plant Winners. For more information and some sources go to The Gold Medal Web Site
Other Korean Fir Choices
There are many cultivars of Korean Fir and many of them are versions with unusual looks or shapes. Horstmann’s Siberlocke has a handsome but irregular branching form and Prostrata is a rich green, low growing type. Compact Dwarf and Silberzwerg are globe-shaped dwarfs. The yellow leaves come on Golden Dream and Aurea. Then we have Piccolo with its short, dark green needles which are displayed on pendulous branches. This plant grows slowly and does not form a central leader.
