The Fraser fir , sometimes spell out Frasier fir , is aboriginal to the high elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains in the southeasterly United States , specifically in areas of North Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , and West Virginia . They are endemic to only seven montane regions in the Appalachian Mountains . It thrives at elevation between 4,500 to 6,500 feet , often near the tree air of the southern Appalachians .
The speciesAbies fraseriis constitute after the Scottish plant scientist John Fraser ( 1750–1811 ) , who made numerous botanic collections in the area . It is sometimes spell “ Frasier , ” “ Frazer ” or “ Frazier . ” Some botanists see the variety show of balsam fir namedAbies balsameavar.phanerolepisas a natural hybrid with Fraser fir , denominatedAbies × phanerolepis(Fernald ) Liu .
The Fraser Fir typically has a cone-shaped contour with a minute crown , make it very symmetrical . Mature Fraser Firs grow to height of 30 to 50 fundament ( 9 to 15 meters ) . In optimal conditions , some can give up to 80 feet ( about 24 meters ) . When grown for Christmas trees or in landscape gardening , they are often pruned to keep them smaller , unremarkably to sizes that fit within household , up to about 6 to 10 feet ( 1.8 to 3 meters ) grandiloquent .
The needle are relatively myopic , flat , not rotund or square in cross - section like some other coniferous tree . They are arranged spirally around the twig but are twisted at their base so that they appear to lie in two matted rows . The upperside is gloomy , showy Green River . The bottom has two white or silver band , formed by row of tiny stomata ( pores for gas exchange ) , which contrast sharply with the green above . The needles are piano to the contact and do not dribble off easily .
Fraser fir tree is monoecious , mean that both manlike and distaff cones ( strobili ) occur on the same tree . Cone buds usually undefended from mid - May to early June . distaff cone are borne mostly in the top few groundwork of the crown and on the distal ends of branch . virile cones are borne below distaff cones , but mostly in the upper half of the cap . source production may begin when trees are 15 days old . Seeds germinate well on mineral soil , moss , peat , decaying stumps and logarithm , and even on detritus or litter that is sufficiently moist .
The retinal cone are cylindrical and upright ( upright ) on the branches , similar to other true fir . When new , the cones are a purplish color . As they ripen , they ferment from dark-green to brown . The scales of the cone cell are thin , slightly rounded , and overlap each other . Each scale has a bract that is shorter than the scale . Each scale has two fly come beneath it . When the cones mature , they disintegrate , free the seeds which are then distribute by the lead .
Young trees have a conical shape , but as they mature , the trunk becomes more columnar . The barque on young Fraser Firs is smooth and grizzly in color . As the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ages , the barque develops furrows and becomes rough . It turns from gray to a ruby-red - brown or grey-haired - brown coloring . The barque constitute into maverick , thick , scaly scale that are break by thick , narrow furrows .
Fraser Firs have a relatively slow to temperate growth rate when young . In cultivation , particularly when grown for Christmas trees , they are often shear to promote a denser , more compact form . In the wilderness , they might produce about 6 to 12 in ( 15 to 30 cm ) per twelvemonth , though this can vary importantly with situation weather , competition , and other factors .
In the wild , a Fraser Fir can last for about 150 to 200 years , though trees in optimal conditions can occasionally outdo this geezerhood . Christmas trees are usually harvest at a much unseasoned old age , typically between 7 to 12 years , when they reach a peak of 6 to 8 feet , which is weigh ideal for holiday ornamentation .
The Fraser true fir is cultivated from seedling in several northern state in the USA and across the perimeter in neighboring parts of the Canadian province of Quebec , especially for the Christmas tree diagram trade . It is also grown in Bedgebury National Pinetum and other collections in the United Kingdom .
