Article
Article
Fir
Article By:
Graves, Arthur H. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut.
Davis, Kenneth P. School of Forestry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.258000
Any tree of the genus Abies, of the pine family, characterized by erect cones, the absence of resin canals in the wood but with many in the bark, and flattened needlelike leaves that lack definite stalks. Fir leaves usually have two white lines on the underside and leave a circular scar when they fall. The native fir of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada is basalm fir (Abies balsamea), which attains a height of 23 m (75 ft) and has resinous buds. Its principal uses are for paper pulp, lumber, boxes, and crates, and as a source of the liquid resin called Canada balsam. In the eastern United States, the fir is used commonly as a Christmas tree. It does not do well as an ornamental tree in areas where the summers are hot. See also: Forest and forestry; Pinales; Resin; Tree
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