Blue Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea Cooks Blue
This is a blue-tinged selection of balsam fir. The blue needle color will intensify with age and the seed will produce trees that vary in color from green to blue and shades in between.
The "Cooks Blue" Balsam Fir has a blue tinge of the needles. It has also proved to be more heat tolerant than the species.
Leaf: Flattened needles, 3/4 inch long, blunt or notched at the end, maybe shorter and sharper pointed on upper branches.
Flower: Monoecious; males occur on undersides of leaf axils, purple to yellow-brown; females occur in the upper crown, purple and inconspicuous.
Resinous cones are upright, 2 to 3 1/2 inches long, oblong to cylindrical, green with a purple tinge, with bracts shorter than the scales; scales are deciduous with seed dispersal in late summer.
Twig: Yellow-green, later turning gray; buds are reddish-brown and resin covered; leaf scars are flat and rounded.
Bark: Shiny silvery gray-brown, smooth except for numerous, raised resin blisters; largest stems may become a bit scaly.
Form: Balsam Fir is small to a medium-sized tree reaching 80 feet tall with a very narrow, spire-like crown.
Zone: 3 to 7
Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
Plant Type: Needled Evergreen Tree (Conifer)
Family: Pinaceae
Native Range: North America
Height: 50 to 75 feet
Spread: 15 to 25 feet
Shape: Pyramidal
Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Fall Color: Evergreen
Drought Tolerance: Low
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Best grown in rich, consistently moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in full sun. Trees grow poorly in heavy clay soils.
Culture: Trees are native to cool climates and are not recommended for planting in the hot and humid summer conditions south of USDA Zone 7.
Uses Specimen Fir for the landscape. Ornamental yard tree. Popular grew Christmas tree because of their attractive fragrance and long retention of needles
Sowing Abies balsamea Seeds:
For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.
Scarify: Soak in water for 24 hours
Stratify Cold 30-45 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium.
Germination: Sow 1/4” Deep
Quantity: 30 Blue Balsam Fir Tree Seeds
