The oldest white firs may occasionally reach 350 years of age. It produces a spire-like crown with a straight trunk. On upper branches, needles tend to be thicker and more curved than those on lower branches. Typically, they are flat, without stalks. The bark on younger trees is thin, smooth, gray with numerous resin-bearing pockets.
Older bark is thicker, reddish-brown to light gray and broken into irregular, flattened scales.
Pollination occurs in the spring and cones mature in one season. Cones are barrel-shaped, about 3 to 6 inches long, and mature in early fall. Cones are upright and generally disintegrate after seeds are shed. White fir is tolerant of a considerable amount of shade. Its best growth is on moist loamy soils, but may often be found on dry, thin soils.