The ability to hold needles after being cut makes these firs desirable Christmas trees. This is a beautiful evergreen tree from the Pacific and Rocky Mountain regions. These firs have excurrent branching patterns and have a pyramidal habit with spreading, whorled branches. Bark is usually smooth and thin on young trees, becoming thicker and more furrowed on older trees. Leaves are narrow and linear.
Foliage is a pleasing silver color, ranging from white to bluish-green.
Leaves are stomatiferous above and below. Foliage is constricted above the base and is shed leaving a relatively smooth twig that is quite different than the spruce twig. Cone scales are shed individually with the seed, leaving a stick protruding above the branch. An excellent tree for ornamental plantings, these firs develop into stately and graceful lawn specimens. It is hardy in all sections of the state and quite free from insects and diseases.