California Red Fir

Description:

The California red fir is a large evergreen tree typically up to 40–60 metres (130–200 ft) tall and 2 metres (6.6 ft) trunk diameter, rarely to 76.5 metres (251 ft) tall and 3 metres (9.8 ft) diameter, with a narrow conic crown. The bark on young trees is smooth, grey, and with resin blisters, becoming orange-red, rough and fissured on old trees. The leaves are needle-like, 2-3.5 cm long, glaucous blue-green above and below with strong stomatal bands, and an acute tip. They are arranged spirally on the shoot, but twisted slightly s-shaped to be upcurved above the shoot. The cones are erect, 9–21 cm long, yellow-green (occasionally purple), ripening brown and disintegrating to release the winged seeds in fall.

Habitat:

Is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. Siesta Lake, Yosemite NP, CA.