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Pinaceae
Abies cephalonica
Grecian Fir, Greek Fir
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
The highlands of Greece reveal stands of this tall evergreen conifer, appropriately known as the Grecian fir. It grows on calcareous and alkaline soils at elevations between 1,800 and 7,000 feet. When mature, the tree's silhouette is a tall, broadly pyramid with horizontal branches.
When young, the Grecian fir has smooth, reddish brown branches, but with age the bark is gray with streaks of pink and brown on fissured, oblong plates. The flattened needles are glossy dark green with a whitish underside. Crushing the needles releases only a faint fragrance. The male and female cones appear on different branches, with the female wind-pollinated cones persisting well into winter. Each cone is long and upright, first sienna to violet, and ripening to golden brown. Specks of resin cover the cone's scales. Shed seeds are triangular and reddish brown.
Grow the Grecian fir in full to partial sun in a moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil. It tolerates moderately acidic soils, but a neutral to alkaline soil is best. Use is as a windbreak or specimen tree. A somewhat faster growing fir, it's become a recent subject for use on Christmas tree farms.
8 - 1
5 - 8
A3, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Full Sun, Partial Sun
80'-110' / 24.4m - 33.5m
25'-35' / 7.6m - 10.7m
Southern Europe, Mediterranean
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Drought
Fast
Average Water
Pyramidal
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
None
Brown
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Sandy Brown, Gray
No
Yes
Fine
Glossy
Fissured
Feature Plant, Screening / Wind Break
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