| Latin Name: | Abies concolor |
| Common Name: | Colorado fir |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Synonyms: | Picea concolor. |
| Known Hazards: | None known |
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Author: (Gordon.)Lindl. ex Hildebrand.
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| Habit: A Fast Growing Evergreen Tree |
| 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]. |
| Height: 45.0 Width: 8.0 |
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].
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Propagation Notes:
Seed - Sow early February in a greenhouse or outdoors in March[78]. Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 - 8 weeks[78]. 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]. 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].
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