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Abies concolor - (Gordon.&Glend.)Lindl. ex Hildebrand.

Colorado Fir

Author	(Gordon.&Glend.)Lindl. ex Hildebrand.	Botanical references	11, 60, 200
Family	Pinaceae	Genus	Abies
Synonyms	Picea concolor - Gord.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	South-western N. America - Oregon to California, to Arizona and New Mexico.
Habitat	Found on a wide range of soils, but preferring moist soils with a humid climate and a long winter from 700 metres to 3,400 metres[229].
Edibility Rating	0 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Tree growing to 45m by 8m at a fast rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Canopy;

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antirheumatic; Pectoral; Poultice; TB.

The pitch from the trunk has been used as an antiseptic poultice for cuts, wounds etc[257]. An infusion of the pitch, or the bark, has been used in the treatment of TB[257] An infusion of the foliage has been used in a bath for relieving rheumatism[257]. An infusion of the pitch and leaves has been used in the treatment of pulmonary complaints[257].

Other Uses

Dye; Wood.

A tan coloured dye can be obtained from the bark[257]. Wood - very light, not strong, coarse grained, soft, not durable. Used mainly for pulp, cases etc[46, 61, 82]. It is sometimes used in framing small houses but is not strong enough to be used in larger buildings[229]. The wood lacks a distinctive odour and so does not impart a flavour to items stored in it. Thus it can be used for making tubs for storing food items[229].

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The crushed leaves have a strong lemony scent.

Cultivation details

Prefers a good moist but not water-logged soil[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are very shade tolerant but growth is slower in dense shade[81]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[1]. Prefers slightly acid conditions down to a pH of about 5[200]. Prefers growing on a north-facing slope[200]. Trees succeed on poor dry sites in the wild[155]. Trees are shallow rooted and therefore liable to be wind-blown in exposed sites[155]. Trees grow almost as well in S. Britain as they do in cooler areas of the country[11]. They are at their best in the Perthshire valleys of Scotland and in N.E. England, trees in the south and east of the country tend to be thin in the crown and soon lose their shape. Trees in the west grow better but also lose their shape after a while[11, 185]. New growth is from mid-May to July and trees are virtually never damaged by late frosts or aphis[1, 185]. Most trees of this species that are grown in Britain are in fact the sub-species A. concolor lowiana. (Gordon.)Lemmon. This form tends to grow better in Britain than the type. There are 2 basic forms of this sub-species, those from the north of the range are vigorous in height growth whilst the southern form is vigorous in girth growth[185]. They both have a potential for forestry use in Britain[185]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm in height. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[200]. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[200]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[200]. A very ornamental tree[1]. The crushed leaves have a strong lemony scent[185].

Propagation

Seed - sow early February in a greenhouse or outdoors in March[78]. Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 - 8 weeks[78]. Stratification is said to produce a more even germination so it is probably best to sow the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn[80, 113]. The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if it is well stored[113]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it is possible to sow in an outdoor seedbed. One report says that it is best to grow the seedlings on in the shade at a density of about 550 plants per square metre[78] whilst another report says that they are best grown on in a sunny position[80].

Links

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[155] Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968
A lovely little pocket guide to wild plants in the southern Rockies of America.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Abies concolor

Dianna Sat Oct 18 19:32:09 2003

To the Makers and Managers of Plants For A Future

I would like to thank you for having this site available. I have made a search for the American South West: PFAF DB Search Address:http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/find_use?AREA=N.+America%28SW%29, and as you can see, it is full of 122 different kinds of plants to study. I appreciate your help in making my dreams come true. You see, I have always wanted to be able to live off of the land should things change, and with this study, I can not only live off the land but serve it as well, by making sure the seeds are there for the planting of useful plants in the future. I have spread the word about your site to interested people both online and within my own community. I hope you flourish in your endeavors. Please keep this online for the generations to come. Maybe someday, we will learn to appreciate what we truly have....a wonderful planet of symbiotic living.

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