Korean Fir (Abies koreana)

Abies koreana, Korean Fir is a species of fir native to the higher mountains of South Korea, including Jeju Island. It grows at altitudes of 1,000 to 1,900 metres in temperate rainforests with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and heavy winter snowfall. The Korean fir is a very popular ornamental plant in parks and gardens in temperate climates, grown for its foliage but also the abundant cone production even on young trees only 1 to 2 metres tall. It is a good choice for smaller and medium-sized gardens, growing between 8 to 10 metres in height with a spread of 3 to 5 metres under optimal conditions.

The Korean Fir is also an emerging and popular choice as a Christmas tree, due to its conical shape and pyramidal habit and is cultivated for its attractive foliage and cones. The branches grow out horizontally and are very evenly spaced while the needles are dark green on the upper surface and whitish on the underside. The cones are cylindrical and violet-blue and grow to about 8cm in length and make a very attractive sight.

The Korean Fir prefers rich, consistently moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It prefers cool climate (cool summer) locations and is recommended for locations that experience a very hot and humid summer. Abies species are the true firs with their cones being upright, as opposed to Picea (Spruces) which have pendant cones.