Fraser Fir Characteristics

Size and Form

• Fraser fir remains manageable in the landscape, growing only between 30 and 50 feet. It has dense branches when immature, but the distance between limbs increases as the Fraser fir ages. Trunk diameters up to 2 feet on this evergreen are possible, and the Fraser fir reaches widths between 20 and 25 feet. Shrub forms such as Klein's Nest and Prostrata grow to 3 and 5 feet tall respectively.

Needles

• White bands run the lengths of the undersides of Fraser fir's needles, which are dark green. The needles give off a pine aroma and grow to lengths of 1 inch. The needles are characteristically flat, but possess rounded tips, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees: Eastern Region."

Cones

• When the Fraser fir's cones first appear on the tree, they are purple. In time, the cones change color becoming shades of tan. As with the other fir trees, the cones develop in an upright position on the branches. They reach lengths of 2-½ inches and have distinctive bracts, modified scales, which bend downward over cones' sides.

More Fraser Fir Features

• The bark of Fraser fir is green and smooth when the tree is quite young, but time turns it platy and brown. The Fraser fir grows best in full sun. It needs a cool climate to do well in. In the wild, where it is rare, it grows at elevations between 4,500 and 6,900 feet, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. One characteristic of this species is that it struggles when placed in heavy clay.