Fraser fir

{{Short description|Species of conifer}} {{Speciesbox | image = Abies fraseri (Fraser fir) (Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, USA) 11 (36843487182).jpg | image_caption = Foliage and cones, Clingmans Dome, North Carolina | status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Farjon, A. |date=2013 |title=''Abies fraseri'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T32101A2810241 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32101A2810241.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | status2 = G2 | status2_system = TNC | status2_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=NatureServe Explorer 2.0 |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128167/Abies_fraseri |website=explorer.natureserve.org |access-date=18 June 2022}}</ref> | genus = Abies | parent = Abies sect. Balsamea | species = fraseri | authority = (Pursh) Poir. | range_map = Abies fraseri range map 2.png | range_map_caption = Natural range of ''Abies fraseri'' | range_map2 = Abies fraseri range map 4.png | range_map2_caption = Close-up of natural range of ''Abies fraseri'' | synonyms = {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; | *''Abies balsamea'' subsp. ''fraseri'' (Pursh) E.Murray *''Abies balsamea'' var. ''fraseri'' (Pursh) Spach *''Abies humilis'' Bach.Pyl. *''Picea fraseri'' (Pursh) Loudon *''Picea hudsonia'' Gordon *''Pinus fraseri'' Pursh }} | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2609865 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |access-date=3 October 2014}}</ref> }}

'''''Abies fraseri''''', commonly known as '''Fraser's fir''',<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/> or '''Fraser fir''',<ref name="GD">{{cite web | title=''Abies fraseri'' description | website=The Gymnosperm Database | date=2025-02-10 | url=https://www.conifers.org/pi/Abies_fraseri.php | access-date=2025-07-18}}</ref> is an endangered species of fir native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. It is endemic to the Appalachian Mountains, where it grows in 48 populations on seven montane regions in the range.<ref name="GD"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kaylor |first1=S. |title=Recovery Trends and Predictions of Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Dynamics in the Southern Appalachian Mountains |journal=Canadian Journal of Forest Research |date=September 2016 |volume=47 |issue=1 |page=125-133|doi=10.1139/cjfr-2016-0067 |hdl=1807/74433 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

== Taxonomy == ''Abies fraseri'' is closely related to ''Abies balsamea'' (balsam fir), of which it has occasionally been treated as a subspecies (as ''A. balsamea'' subsp. ''fraseri'' (Pursh) E.Murray<ref name="GD"/>) or a variety (as ''A. balsamea'' var. ''fraseri'' (Pursh) Spach<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Jacobs | first1=Brian F. | last2=Werth | first2=Charles R. | last3=Guttman | first3=Sheldon I. | title=Genetic relationships in ''Abies'' (fir) of eastern United States: an electrophoretic study | journal=Canadian Journal of Botany | volume=62 | issue=4 | date=1984-04-01 | issn=0008-4026 | doi=10.1139/b84-092 | pages=609–616 | url=http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/b84-092 | access-date=2025-07-18| url-access=subscription }}</ref>).<ref name="farjon">Farjon, A. (1990). ''Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera''. Koeltz Scientific Books {{ISBN|3-87429-298-3}}.</ref><ref name="liu">Liu, T.-S. (1971). ''A Monograph of the Genus Abies''. National Taiwan University.</ref><ref name="fna">Flora of North America: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500006 ''Abies fraseri'']</ref><ref name="gd">Gymnosperm Database: [http://www.conifers.org/pi/Abies_fraseri.php ''Abies fraseri'']</ref> Some botanists regard the variety of balsam fir named ''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' as a natural hybrid with ''Abies fraseri'', denominated ''Abies × phanerolepis'' (Fernald) Liu.<ref name="liu" />

==Names== thumb|Fraser's fir on the slopes of Kuwohi The species ''Abies fraseri'' is named after the Scottish botanist John Fraser (1750–1811), who made numerous botanical collections in the region.<ref name=liu/> His name is sometimes misspelled "Frasier", "Frazer" or "Frazier".{{cn|date=July 2025}}

In the past, it was also sometimes known as "she-balsam" because resin could be "milked" from its bark blisters,<ref name="isbn0-8078-4851-4">{{cite book |author=Frankenberg, D. |title=Exploring North Carolina's Natural Areas: Parks, Nature Preserves, and Hiking Trails |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |location=Chapel Hill |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8078-4851-7 }} p343</ref> in contrast to the "he balsam" (or ''Picea rubens,'' the red spruce) which could not be milked. It has also been called southern balsam fir,<ref name="fna"/> inviting confusion with ''A. balsamea''.<ref name="isbn0-394-73126-3">{{cite book |author1=Sutton, M. |author2= Sutton, A. |name-list-style=amp |title=Eastern forests (Audubon Society Nature Guides) |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |year=1985 |isbn=978-0-394-73126-1 }} p363</ref>

==Description== thumb|Close-up view of the foliage

''Abies fraseri'' is a small evergreen coniferous tree typically growing to {{convert|10|and|15|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} tall, rarely to {{convert|25|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}},<ref name=farjon/><ref name=fna/> with a trunk diameter of {{convert|50|–|75|cm|0|abbr=on}}. The crown is conical, with straight branches either horizontal to angled upward at up to 40° from the trunk; it is dense when the tree is young and more open in maturity. The bark is thin, smooth, grayish brown, and has numerous resinous blisters on juvenile trees, becoming fissured and scaly in maturity.

The leaves are needle-like; arranged spirally on the twigs but somewhat twisted at their bases to form two rows spreading either side of the twig, with some above the twing but few or none below the twig.<ref name="GD"/> They are {{convert|10-23|mm|in|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|2-2.2|mm|in|abbr=on}} broad, flat, flexible, and rounded or slightly notched at their apices (tips). They are dark to glaucous green adaxially (above), often with a small patch of stomata near their apices; and with two silvery white stomatal bands abaxially (on their undersides). Their strong fragrance resembles that of turpentine.

The cones are erect; cylindrical; {{convert|3.5-7|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, rarely {{convert|8|cm|in|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|2.5-3|cm|in|abbr=on}} broad, rarely {{convert|4|cm|in|abbr=on}} broad; dark purple, turning pale brown when mature; often resinous; and with long reflexed green, yellow, or pale purple bract scales. The cones disintegrate when mature at 4–6 months old to release the winged seeds.<ref name=farjon/><ref name=liu/><ref name=fna/>

==Ecology==

===Reproduction and growth=== Fraser's fir is monoecious, with both male and female cones on the same tree.<ref name=farjon/><ref>[http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/abies/fraseri.htm Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025055438/http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_1/abies/fraseri.htm |date=2016-10-25 }}, Silviculture Manual, Volume 1, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Retrieved 20 October 2014</ref> The cone buds usually open from mid May to early June. Female cones are borne mostly near the top of the crown and on the distal ends of branches. The male cones are borne below female cones, but mostly in the upper half of the crown. Seed production may begin when trees are 15 years old. Seeds germinate well on mineral soil, moss, peat, decaying stumps and logs, and even on detritus or litter that is sufficiently moist.<ref>[http://www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/education/treevarieties/fraserfir.aspx Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425231806/http://www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/education/treevarieties/fraserfir.aspx |date=2016-04-25 }} The National Christmas Tree Association, Retrieved 20 Oct 2014</ref>

===Distribution and habitat=== thumb|Fraser's fir forest, with many trees killed by balsam woolly adelgid ''Abies fraseri'' is restricted to the southeastern Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, where it occurs at high elevations, from {{convert|1,200|m|ft|abbr=on}} to the top of the highest summit in the area, Mount Mitchell, at {{cvt|2037|m|ft}}.<ref name=farjon/> It grows in acidic moist but well-drained sandy loam and is usually mixed with ''Picea rubens'' (red spruce). Other trees it grows with include ''Tsuga caroliniana'' (Carolina hemlock), ''Betula alleghaniensis'' (yellow birch), ''Betula papyrifera'' (paper birch), and ''Acer saccharum'' (sugar maple). The climate is cool and moist, with short, cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.<ref name=farjon/><ref name=liu/> It lives in sites that experience frequent cloud coverage, which, when paired with cooler temperatures, improves plant water status and high soil moisture.<ref>Cory, S. T., Wood, L. K., & Neufeld, H. S. (2017). Phenology and growth responses of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) Christmas trees along an elevational gradient, southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 243, 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.05.003</ref>

===Pests=== ''Abies fraseri'' can be severely damaged by a non-native insect, the balsam woolly adelgid (''Adelges piceae'') from Europe. The insect's introduction and spread led to a rapid decline in the species across its range, with over 80 percent of mature trees having been killed. The rapid regeneration of seedlings with lack of canopy has led to good regrowth of healthy young trees where the mature forests once stood.<ref name=Comeback>{{cite news|url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2020/04/22/earth-day-after-decades-devastation-comeback-wnc-forests/2995596001/|title=Earth Day: After decades of devastation, a comeback for WNC forests|last=McDarris|first=Anne|work=Asheville Citizen-Times|date=22 April 2020|access-date=22 April 2020}}</ref> These young trees are now old enough for the bark to develop fissures, but despite this, there has been no resurgence by the adelgids.<ref name=Comeback/>

For this reason, the future of the species was still uncertain, though the Mount Rogers (Virginia) population has largely evaded adelgid mortality. The decline in the southern Appalachians has contributed to loss of moss habitat which supports the endangered spruce-fir moss spider (''Microhexura montivaga)'', an obligate of the Southern Appalachian spruce–fir forest ecoregion.<ref name=gd/>

By the late 1990s, the adelgid population had decreased. While two-thirds of adult trees had been killed by the 1980s, a study of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park showed that as of 2020, the number of adult trees had increased over the previous 30 years, with three times as many on Kuwohi, Tennessee's highest peak.<ref name=Comeback/>

===Threats=== Fraser's fir is an endangered species.<ref name="Fraser Fir">{{Cite web|title=Fraser Fir|url=https://globaltrees.org/threatened-trees/trees/fraser-fir/|access-date=2021-05-07|website=Global Trees|language=en-GB}}</ref> Threats include climate change and the aforementioned balsam woolly adelgid.

==Cultivation and uses== thumb|A Fraser's fir as the 1995 White House Christmas tree Although not important as a source of timber, the combination of dense natural pyramidal form, strong limbs, soft long-retained needles, dark blue-green color, pleasant scent and excellent shipping characteristics, has led to Fraser's fir being widely used as a Christmas tree.<ref>Hendrix, Steve, "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/the-remarkable-journey-of-a-single-christmas-tree/2011/12/01/gIQALVuZ9O_story.html A Christmas tree's remarkable journey]", ''The Washington Post'', 21 December 2011.</ref> Fraser's fir has been used more times as the White House Christmas tree than any other tree.

The Christmas decoration trade is a multimillion-dollar business in the southern Appalachians. North Carolina produces the majority of Fraser's fir Christmas trees.<ref>[http://www.ncagr.gov/ "Fraser Fir"]. North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 24 November 2010.</ref> It requires from seven to ten years in the field to produce a {{convert|6-7|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall|1|abbr=off|sp=us}} tree. In 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation making the Fraser's fir the official Christmas tree of North Carolina.

Fraser's fir is cultivated from seedlings in several northern states and in Quebec, especially for the Christmas tree trade.<ref name="Fraser Fir"/> It is also grown in Bedgebury National Pinetum and other collections in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Fraser Fir"/>

==See also== * Appalachian temperate rainforest

==References== {{Reflist|25em}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Abies fraseri| ''Abies fraseri'' (Fraser fir)}} *[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500006 Flora of North America: ''Abies fraseri'' treatment] and [http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=5436&flora_id=1 range map]—eFloras.org *[http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/abies-fraseri-fraser-fir-native-range-map.php Interactive Native Range Distribution Map: ''Abies fraseri''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174619/http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/abies-fraseri-fraser-fir-native-range-map.php |date=2016-03-03 }}

Category:Abies Category:Endangered flora of the United States Category:Endemic flora of the United States Category:Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Category:Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains Category:Taxa named by Frederick Traugott Pursh Category:Trees of Northern America