Twigs/buds: Twigs slender; flexible; covered with fine hairs; glabrous when leaves are detached. Buds cigar-shaped; sharp-pointed; about 1/2" long; brown.

Flowers/fruit: Fruit a thin-scaled cone; about 3" long; hangs down; each scale has a 3-pointed woody bract attached to it.

Bark: Smooth; gray-brown; with resin blisters on young trees; rough and thick on older trees.

Wood: Very important; sapwood white to yellow; heartwood yellow to red; growth rings very distinct; used for high-quality lumber and plywood.

General: Native to the Pacific coastal states and Rocky Mountain states, including Utah. Not a true fir. Very valuable western timber tree. Narrower crown than many conifers. Intermediate shade tolerance.

Landscape Use: Does well in Utah but seldom seen away from native mountain sites. Does well in Utah's valleys with adequate moisture. Zones 4-6.

Range map from Digital Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Utah