FIRS FOR THE ROCK GARDEN

True firs, Abies, are found in alpine settings throughout the world- everything from cushion shapes to tall, craggy trees. Here in the northwest, alpine firs like Abies lasiocarpa are often dug from their native habitat for use in landscaped gardens near sea level. Such usage can often end in the slow death of the plant. Death results from a variety of factors. The root system may be largely left behind when the tree was removed from its rocky home or the tree may have been stressed in its native setting and unable to withstand transplant shock. Sometimes the moved tree may be too weak to resist attacks from a host of new insect pests. Or the tree may simply be too old to adapt to new settings in such a short time period.

Since a rock garden is most often constructed with the idea of replicating an alpine environment, true firs are almost a requirement for authenticity. Selecting cultivated firs will prevent many of the survivability problems associated with trees dug from the wilderness. It also avoids the common problem of transplanted trees losing all semblance of dwarfness and developing into large specimens.

There are many cultivars of fir that are very suitable for use in a rock garden. They have many of the same requirements of cultivation as do alpine plants. The exception would be the pH of the soil. The majority of true firs abhor limestone soils. So they should be planted in areas away from limestone rocks in the garden. Since minerals leach downward, there is little chance of calcium carbonate spreading horizontally.

A more detailed discussion on rock garden planting is found in the pine and spruce articles on other web pages. What follows highlights some of the fir cultivars for the rock garden.

As with the pines and spruces, the past twenty years have seen a virtual explosion of firs into the conifer cultivar world. Many new Abies cultivars have been named, but few are readily available. The ones I describe here have all been grown by me and most are still in my own conifer collection. Many named cultivars are not described or pictured here for various reasons. There are many similar selections, and many have been named too quickly for a fair evaluation. The market place will sort things out over the next twenty years, and the number of cultivars should drop considerably. Hopefully not too many good ones will disappear with the mediocre selections.

Abies alba 'Hedge'

I have not seen any older specimens of this cultivar, but my own plants show very slow growth (2 cm or 1" per year) with a spreading habit and a depressed center. Since Abies alba is such an attractive species, this selection is well worth a try.

Abies alba 'Mlada Boleslaw'

Abies balsamea 'Nana'

A dwarf, dense, globose shrub, this selection is relatively easy to find and purchase. It grows about 5 cm (2") per year with dark green foliage with the needles radially arranged around the stems. This selection is very popular in the nursery industry since it roots very easily from winter cuttings, rapidly forms a dense little plant, and seldom reverts (throws up coarse, rapid shoots). Notice in the picture how it compares with 'Piccolo' and 'Hudsonii'.

Abies balsamea 'Piccolo'

A dwarf, globose selection that grows about 2 cm (1") per year, it is miniature in all respects and quite dense. It is a nice addition to the smaller rock garden.

Abies concolor 'Archer's Dwarf'

A dwarf, conical plant that grows dense and quite narrow, its needles are powder blue, thin, and strongly recurved. Growing up to 8 cm (3") per year, it develops into a narrowly conical, small tree. It is best suited to larger rock gardens or on the border of any size rock garden

Abies concolor 'Blue Saphire'

There are a number of miniature to dwarf selections of Abies concolor. Some are long lived; others seem to survive for just a short time. This particular selection is new but appears to develop into an irregular, dense, small, columnar bush. The color is a strikingly bright blue, and the growth rate is less than 2 cm (1") per year. The nice thing about Abies concolor is that it is definitely an alpine fir and adds realism to the alpine rock garden.

Abies concolor ‘Cernosice’

A dwarf, broadly globose selection, at six years it will be 25 cm (10") wide by 12 cm (5") high. Originating in the Czech Republic it is the favorite Abies concolor of many Czech conifer lovers.

Abies concolor 'Conica'

A slow growing, dense, narrowly conical selection with branches strongly fastigiate, this partiucular cultivar has been a favorite of mine ever since I first saw it at the home of Layne Ziegenfuss. It grows about 10 cm (4") per year with gray-blue foliage and needles shorter than the species. Even though it originated before 1930 in the Durand Eastman Park, Rochester, New York, it has never been widely grown. Use it for a screen or backdrop for the smaller rock gardens or use it directly within the bigger rock garden. It will provide a nice vertical accent.

Abies concolor 'Gable's Weeping'

Usually growing wider than high and sometimes developing a leader, this selection works nicely when planted among a group of rocks. The laterals are all strongly pendulous and the growth rate is about 7 cm (3") per year The needles are thin, curved, and grayish-green.

Abies concolor 'Horstmann's Igel'

A miniature selection that grows into a dense, little mound, it grows less than 1 cm (1/2") per year. The foliage is glossy, dark green with the needles slightly downcurved and longer than the annual growth. I saw the original plant when visiting Gunter Horstmann in the early 1980's and was a amazed at the slow growth rate. It looks like a classic alpine fir. There is some question about the species of this fir, and some of my Dutch friends think it may actually be an Abies grandis.

Abies concolor ‘Kalous’

A dense, spreading selection, at eleven years it may be 60 cm (25") wide by 25 cm (10") high. It is not a bright blue, tending to be more gray-green in color. It is faster growing than some of the miniature Abies concolor, giving it other uses in the rock garden. After all, using just miniature conifers all with very slow growth rates takes a lot of the variety out of the garden.

Abies concolor 'Kutchera'

This is another of the dwarf, irregularly growing selections of Abies concolor. It develops into a small, dense bush over a long period of time. Blue with small foliage, it grows up to 2 cm (1") per year.

Abies concolor 'Ostrav Nod Orie'

This plant fascinated me from the first time I saw it in a private garden a few hours from Prague. Its foliage is all twisted and contorted, as are its branches. It does not grow upright, rather sprawling randomnly in a variety of directions. It makes an excellent, slow-growing, blue ground cover. It reminds me of an alpine fir that has been battered by snow and wind to the point where it doesn't grow in any specific direction.

Abies concolor 'Piggelmee'

A miniature selection with exceptionally dense branching habit, it grows about 2 cm (1") per year. Its short, thick blue needles are densely arranged on short stems. Its excellent blue color is due to its parentage- discovered as a witches' broom on 'Candicans'. It is the first of the miniature Abies concolor selections and has proven to be reliable wherever Abies concolor can grow. The oldest specimen I have seen was growing in a Dutch garden. It was 30 years old and about 1 meter (3') high and wide. It was one of the few surviving original plants in an old conifer garden. The owner had mistakingly sprayed Roundup on his collection five years previously, thinking it was an insecticide.

Abies grandis 'von Dedem's Dwarf'

A broad, globose selection which is not very dense, it grows an average of about 4 cm (1.5") per year into a twenty year old plant that is 40 cm (15") high by about 80 cm (33") wide. Its foliage is dark green with short needles. It is a good cultivar to use to add an Abies grandis to the rock garden.

Abies koreana 'Blauer Eskimo'

I had seen several different blue cultivars of Abies koreana in European gardens but did not realize there was a dwarf blue selection until I saw ‘Blauer Eskimo’. A pale blue cushion that only gets nicer as it ages, this cultivar grows about 2 cm (1”) per year and benefits from some afternoon shade. It derived its nice color from Abies koreana ‘Blaue Pfiff’ as a witches’ broom that may still be seen at the nursery of K. Wittboldt-Muller Nursery, Verden-Eitz, Germany.

Abies koreana 'Cis'

A miniature, dense bush that grows about 2-3 cm (@1”) per year, this cultivar will not outgrow its home for many years. The foliage is dark green, making it an ideal alternative for Abies balsamea ‘Nana’.

Abies koreana 'Gait'

A dwarf, columnar, dense little plant, it grows about 6-10 cm (3-4”) per year. Its dark green foliage makes a nice contrast with the many small, light brown cones this cultivar commonly produces. Use it for a slow growing vertical accent in the smaller or larger rock garden.

Abies koreana 'Green Carpet'

This name is just a bit misleading since it is more of a wide-spreading mound than a flat carpet. However, that said, it is dwarf selection that grows much broader than high. I saw a very old plant in Holland that was 2 meters (6’) wide and less that 30 cm (12”) high. It grows about 10 cm (4”) per year with dark green foliage.

Abies koreana 'Ice Breaker'

The first time I saw Abies koreana ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’, I was visiting with Gunter Horstmann at his home in Schneverdingen, Germany. That plant was so unique with its curved needles exposing their undersides and giving the whole plant a silvery sheen that I knew it would become a very popular plant. In 2004 I heard about a witches’ broom on a ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ with the same curl to the needles, only more intense. When I traveled through Holland and Germany during the summer of 2006, I saw some older specimens and was amazed at the statement they made in the garden. Bright silver, almost white, cushions that stood out wherever they were used. They showed no sign of uncurling which happens with ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ when it is well fertilized. This cultivar will be in short supply for many years. Use it in any size rock garden for its brightening effect. It appears to grow about 3 cm (1”+) per year as it develops into a dense cushion.

Abies koreana 'Kristalkugel'

There have been a number of Abies koreana witches’ brooms propagated during the past twenty years. This one is unique in that as a young plant it grows faster than most while developing an extensive network of branches, which keeps its dense structure. After a few years it grows more slowly, becoming a dense cushion of about 50 cm (19”) wide by 25 cm (10”) high after 10 to 15 years. An occasional glimpse of the undersides of the needles provides a typical Abies koreana bicolor effect.

Abies koreana 'Nadelkissen'

This miniature globe has dark green foliage that does not display the silvery undersides of its needles. With a growth rate of about 1 cm (1/2") per year, it is quite good for most rock gardens.

Abies koreana 'Silberkugel'

Of all the miniature selections of Abies koreana, this is the easiest to identify. The horizontal spreading of the branches over the top of the bun is a sure giveaway. It becomes a miniature, dense, globose plant with branchlets laying horizontally across the top of the plant with a slight contortion to their stems. It grows about 1 cm (1/2”) per year with mid to light green foliage.  Give it some afternoon shade to prevent scorching as it matures. Being the smallest selection of Abies koreana to date, it has many uses in smaller rock gardens.

Abies koreana 'SilberperlE'

I have seen this plant labeled in gardens as ‘Silber Mavers’ and ‘Silberzwerg’. In fact, I have had plants under all three names from various sources in my own garden. After a number of years I came to realize they are one and the same.

It is a cushion shaped plant when young. However, it will eventually develop a terminal shoot with a slightly accelerated growth rate. As the terminal shoot slowly works its way upward, the plant will become irregularly conical, slightly higher than wide. Everything remains miniaturized, and a dense, conical, little shrub results. It makes a nice contrast with the other conifers in the rock garden and is definitely alpine in appearance. The growth rate is about 3 cm (1”) per year with the developing terminal shoot growing as much as 6 cm (2”) per year.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Duflon'

Possibly the dwarfest of the true fir, this miniature mound will develop into a congested little tree as it ages. It starts out as a bun for many years until a weak leader establishes itself, then it will gain a little height with a maximum growth rate of about 1 cm (1/2”) per year. Its foliage consists of green needles that are very tiny, staying in scale with the size of the plant. It was discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Alton Duflon in 1954 near Lake Cushman on the Olympic Peninsula as a congested, little tree that must have been over 100 years old.

The tree was moved to the Duflon home where it was seen by a friend, Ed Lohbrunner, of Vancouver, BC. He managed to talk them out of three little pieces of wood, which he rooted. Later, when the original tree died for unknown reasons, these three little plants were the only remaining specimens.

This is an alpine fir in miniature. Use it in any rock garden near a rock or above a miniaturized cliff.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Alpine Beauty'

Too new for a fair evaluation, it appears to have a great future in store for itself. The pictures are of the largest examples I have seen of this cultivar. They are about 7 years old.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Logan Pass'

A miniature, flat-topped selection, it has gray-blue foliage with short, fat needles. It was discovered as a witches' broom at the snow line in the Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, U.S.A. before 1976 by Elisabeth Horstmann.

Everyone who sees this miniature plant is captivated by its dwarfness and large, convex buds. It is very difficult to propagate since scions are at best about 60 mm (1/4”) long with just a few needles.

I have several of them in my own rock garden scattered throughout the rockier areas. The center photo shows the original broom growing at the Horstmann Nursery in Schneverdingen over ten years ago.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Lopalpun'

Thise plant was also found by the Horstmanns in America and is very similar to ‘Logan Pass’.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Prickley Pete'

This selection may prove to be an exceptional plant for the rock garden if it grows like its parent- tall without branching. The original plant was found in the Rocky Mountains by Jerry Morris. It was tall with horizontal branching that was very short. The tree looked like a pole with blue tufts of foliage scattered along its length (very cactus-like). I do not know how the young ones will develop since my oldest plants are only six years old and still just cushion shaped.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Steven Blue'

This is possibly the bluest dwarf Abies lasiocarpa yet found. It is still too new for a fair evaluation but looks to be very promising. The plant photographed above I saw growing in Germany.

Abies lasiocarpa 'Utah'

 A Jerry Morris selection, this plant has proven to be exceptionally slow growing with a nice, light green foliage color. The winter buds are easy to see, and the plant grows into a miniature globe at the rate of about 2 cm (1”-) per year. It does seem to benefit from light shade for part of the afternoon.

Abies nordmanniana 'Barabit's Compact'

A broad, spreading, compact selection that is quite dwarf, it grows to a height of 30 cm and a width of 60 cm at ten years. The foliage is bright green when young, becoming dark green with age. It is a good choice for the larger rock garden where it will develop into an attractive shrub.

Abies nordmaniana 'Jakobsen '

A miniature selection that is pillow-shaped with a bare upper surface and slightly twisted branchlets, it is not the easiest cultivar to maintain. The foliage is dark green and sparse with very short needles. Use it as a cushion-shaped fir that appears to have been somewhat deformed by the alpine weather conditions.

Abies procera 'Blaue Hexe'

Possibly the bluest of the dwarf to miniature firs, ‘Blaue Hexe’ is a dwarf selection that grows broad and globose with short branches and short, wide, bright blue needles. This cultivar is irresistible to any gardener, easy to propagate, and makes lots of scions on young plants. As a young plant it benefits from a little shade in the afternoon.

At times an older plant will produce a strong, upright shoot. If allowed to develop, it will slowly return to its dwarf growth habit on a taller plant.

This selection is a good way to add Abies procera to a rock garden, but it also looks great in just about any other kind of landscape as well.

Abies veitchii 'Heddergott'

A dense, low, spreading bush that becomes broadly vase shaped as it ages, its foliage is green with silvery undersides and quite short. The growth rate is about 3-5 cm (1-2”) per year. The veitchii foliage is a welcome addition to any rockery.

Abies veitchii 'Heine'

A dwarf, spreading, bizarrely growing plant, it is similar to 'Hedergott' but with longer leaves and a light green color. It grows up to 5 cm (2”) per year with occasional end branches of up to 10 cm (4”).

Abies veitchii ‘Rumburk’

This dense, miniature, nest-forming selection with a slightly irregular outline is an exception selection of veitch fir. At twenty-five years it will be about 55 cm (20”) wide by 60cm (22”) high. Its foliage is gray-blue with areas of silver and green due to exposure of the undersides of many of the needles. This cultivar will provide a very unique shade of blue to any size rock garden.

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