Blue Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea Cooks Blue, Tree Seeds


Fragrant Evergreen, Christmas Tree, Bonsai


This is a blue tinged selection of balsam fir. The blue needle color will intensify with age and the seed will produce trees that vary in color from green to blue and shades in between.

The "Cooks Blue" Balsam Fir has blue tinge of the needles. It has also proved to be more heat tolerant than the species.


Balsam Fir is an aromatic, narrow, pyramidal, evergreen conifer with a spire-like crown. It typically grows to 50 to 70 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide. Resinous branches are densely clad with flattened, shiny, dark green needles to 1 inch long. Needles are unstalked with circular bases and are white-banded beneath. Smooth gray-brown bark (greenish when young but brown and scaly on older trees) is covered with blisters which contain a sticky aromatic resin. Cylindrical seed cones, 2 to 4 inches long, appear at the crown. Cones are purple when young. As is distinctive with the Firs, the cones appear upright on the branches. Cones disintegrate (scales drop) after the seeds ripen, often leaving only the erect central spike of the cone axis. Balsam Fir is native to moist woods and bottomlands in Northeastern United States and Canada. It is a primary component of the boreal forest that stretches across Canada.

Balsam Fir is one of the more important conifers in the northern United States and in Canada. It is used primarily for pulp and light frame construction and it is one of the most popular Christmas trees. Wildlife rely extensively on this tree for food and shelter.


Leaf: Flattened needles, 3/4 inch long, blunt or notched at end, may be shorter and sharper pointed on upper branches.
Flower: Monoecious; males occur on undersides of leaf axils, purple to yellow-brown; females occur in upper crown, are purple and inconspicuous.
Fruit: Resinous cones are upright, 2 to 3 1/2 inches long, oblong to cylindrical, green with purple tinge, with bracts shorter than the scales; scales are deciduous with seed dispersal in late summer.
Twig: Yellow-green, later turning gray; buds are reddish brown and resin covered; leaf scars are flat and rounded.
Bark: Shiny silvery gray-brown, smooth except for numerous, raised resin blisters; largest stems may become a bit scaly.
Form: Balsam Fir is a small to medium sized tree reaching 80 feet tall with a very narrow, spire-like crown.

Zone: 3 to 7

Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate

Plant Type: Needled Evergreen Tree (Conifer)
Family: Pinaceae

Native Range: North America

Height: 50 to 75 feet
Spread: 15 to 25 feet
Shape: Pyramidal

Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Fall Color: Evergreen

Drought Tolerance: Low

Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium

Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Best grown in rich, consistently moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in full sun. Trees grow poorly in heavy clay soils.

Culture: Trees are native to cool climates and are not recommended for planting in the hot and humid summer conditions south of USDA Zone 7.

Uses: Specimen Fir for the landscape. Ornamental yard tree. Popular commercially grown Christmas tree because of its attractive fragrance and long retention of needles


Sowing Abies balsamea Seeds:

For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.

Scarify: Soak in water for 24 hours

Stratify: Cold 30-45 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium.

Germination: Sow 1/4” Deep

For more information about seed pretreatment and growing trees and shrubs from seed, please download this .pdf:

https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2007/08/fcpg018.pdf


Germination:

  1. Seeds Packets are labeled with seed name and sowing details.
  2. Seeds have not been pretreated unless specified in the listing.
  3. Seed is not a specific Cultivar (Variety) unless specified in the listing.
  4. Due to the many factors involved in successful germination, Seller cannot be responsible for buyers growing methods or mistakes.
  5. I have provided what I believe to be a good overview on this page (which you are free to print for further reference), however, it is still recommended to check specialist literature for more details and practices specific to your climate and soil conditions to avoid mistakes in the germination and growing process.

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