It grows more slowly than the other pines initially, but it usually reaches merchantable size six to nine years after planting. All firs have soft, flattened needles borne singly along the twigs and branches. Firs are characterized by a pleasing fragrance. They do best on loamy soils and are unsuited for heavy clay soils. Firs grown for Christmas trees commonly require fertilizer.
Growth rates are much slower than for pines, particularly during the first few years.
Fraser fir is native to the Appalachian Mountains at elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. At lower elevations, planting sites for Fraser fir should be carefully selected. The recommended minimum elevation in Virginia for planting Fraser fir is 2,000 feet, although vigorous plantations have been established as low as 1,500 to 1,700 feet. Lower elevations can be partly compensated for by such factors as frequent summer showers, northern exposure, and moist sites. Fraser fir has excellent color and needle retention, pleasing fragrance, and strong branches with a slight turn-up which gives the tree a compact appearance.