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The Fraser fir (''Abies fraseri'') is a species of fir native to the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...
of the
Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the south ...
. ''Abies fraseri'' is closely related to ''
Abies balsamea ''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to W ...
'' (balsam fir), of which it has occasionally been treated as a
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...
(as ''A. balsamea'' subsp. ''fraseri'' (Pursh) E.Murray) or a
variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
(as ''A. balsamea'' var. ''fraseri'' (Pursh) Spach).Farjon, A. (1990). ''Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera''. Koeltz Scientific Books .Liu, T.-S. (1971). ''A Monograph of the Genus Abies''. National Taiwan University.Flora of North America
''Abies fraseri''
/ref>Gymnosperm Database
''Abies fraseri''
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Names

The species ''Abies fraseri'' is named after the Scottish botanist John Fraser (1750–1811), who made numerous botanical collections in the region. It is sometimes misspelled "Frasier," "Frazer" or "Frazier." In the past, it was also sometimes known as "she-balsam" because resin could be "milked" from its bark blisters, p343 in contrast to the "he balsam" ('' Picea rubens'' (red spruce)) which could not be milked. It has also occasionally been called balsam fir, inviting confusion with ''
Abies balsamea ''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to W ...
'' (balsam fir). p363


Description

''Abies fraseri'' is a small
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
conifer Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ext ...
ous
tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
typically growing between tall, but rarely to , with a trunk diameter of , but rarely . The crown is conical, with straight branches either horizontal or angled upward at 40° from the trunk; it is dense when the tree is young and more open in maturity. The
bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, e ...
is thin, smooth, grayish brown, and has numerous
resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on nat ...
ous blisters on juvenile trees, becoming fissured and scaly in maturity. The
leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...
are needle-like; arranged spirally on the twigs but twisted at their bases to form two rows on each twig; they are long and broad; flat; flexible; rounded or slightly notched at their apices (tips); dark to glaucous green adaxially (above); often having a small patch of
stoma In botany, a stoma (from Greek ''στόμα'', "mouth", plural "stomata"), also called a stomate (plural "stomates"), is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange. The pore is bo ...
ta near their apices; and having two silvery white stomatal bands abaxially (on their undersides). Their strong fragrance resembles
turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...
. The cones are erect; cylindrical; long, rarely , and broad, rarely broad; dark purple, turning pale brown when mature; often resinous; and with long reflexed green, yellow, or pale purple
bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or o ...
scales. The cones disintegrate when mature at 4–6 months old to release the winged seeds. Some botanists regard the variety of
Balsam fir ''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...
named ''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' as a natural hybrid with Fraser fir, denominated ''Abies × phanerolepis'' (Fernald) Liu.


Ecology


Reproduction and growth

Fraser fir is monoecious, meaning that both male and female cones (strobili) occur on the same tree. Cone buds usually open from mid-May to early June. Female cones are borne mostly in the top few feet of the crown and on the distal ends of branches. 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.


Distribution

''Abies fraseri'' is restricted to the southeastern
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...
in southwestern
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, western
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
and eastern
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
, where it occurs at high elevations, from to the summit of
Mount Mitchell Mount Mitchell, known in Cherokee as Attakulla, is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland eastern North America. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the Black Mountain su ...
, the highest point in the region at . It lives 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 ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the p ...
'' (yellow birch), ''
Betula papyrifera ''Betula papyrifera'' (paper birch, also known as (American) white birch and canoe birch) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper li ...
'' (paper birch), and ''
Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the pri ...
'' (sugar maple). The climate is cool and moist, with short, cool summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.


Pests

''Abies fraseri'' is severely damaged by a non-native insect, the balsam woolly adelgid (''Adelges piceae''). The insect's introduction and spread led to a rapid decline in Fraser fir 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. However, when these young trees get old enough for the bark to develop fissures, they may be attacked and killed by the adelgids as well. For this reason, the future of the species is still uncertain, though the Mount Rogers (Virginia) population has largely evaded adelgid mortality. The decline of the Fraser fir in the southern Appalachians has contributed to loss of moss habitat which supports the
spruce-fir moss spider The spruce-fir moss spider (''Microhexura montivaga'') is an endangered species of spider found at high elevations in the southern Appalachian Mountains. First identified in 1923, it inhabits moss that grows on rocks underneath the forest canopy. ...
. By the late 1990s, the adelgid population was down. While two-thirds of adult trees had been killed by the 1980s, a study of the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, w ...
showed that as of 2020, the number of adult trees had increased over the previous 30 years, with three times as many on
Clingmans Dome Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. Its name in Cherokee is Kuwahi or Kuwohi (ᎫᏩᎯ or ᎫᏬᎯ), meaning "mulberry place." At an e ...
.


Threats

The Fraser fir is an
endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
. Threats include
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
and balsam woolly adelgid.


Cultivation and uses

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 fir being widely used as a
Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...
. Fraser 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 The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. North Carolina produces the majority of Fraser fir Christmas trees."Fraser Fir"
North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
It requires from seven to ten years in the field to produce a tree. In 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation making the Fraser fir the official Christmas tree of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
. The Fraser fir is cultivated from seedlings in several northern states in the USA and across the border in adjacent parts of the Canadian province of Quebec, especially for the Christmas tree trade. It is also grown in
Bedgebury National Pinetum Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury, Kent, in the United Kingdom, is a recreational and conservational arboretum managed by Forestry England that was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most ...
and other collections in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
.


See also

*
Appalachian temperate rainforest The Appalachian temperate rainforest is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern U.S. About 351,500 square kilometers (135,000 square miles) of forest land is spread across eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, western North ...
* Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest


References


External links


Flora of North America: ''Abies fraseri'' treatment
an
range map
��eFloras.org
Interactive Native Range Distribution Map: ''Abies fraseri''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1451343 Abies Endangered flora of the United States Endemic flora of the United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains Taxa named by Frederick Traugott Pursh Trees of the Southeastern United States