Greek fir

How to recognise it

Habit

Large conifer of 20–30 m, in Belgium usually 15–25 m; narrowly conical at first, broader with age, with a flattened top.

Needles

Stiff, 1.5–3 cm long, with a sharp point that pricks; arranged all round the shoot like a bottle brush. Glossy dark green above, two white bands below.

Flowering

In April–May: small yellow male cones under the shoots and small upright female cones at the top of the crown.

Cones

Upright on the upper branches, cylindrical, 12–16 cm long, with protruding, bent-back bracts. They break up on the tree in autumn; only the central spike remains.

Bark

Smooth and grey on young trees, with resin blisters; darker and cracked into scales or plates on old trees.

Look-alikes

Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo) also has needles all round the shoot, but they are short, thick and blunt. European silver fir has soft needles in two rows, notched at the tip. Spruces have hanging cones that fall to the ground whole.

Flowering: April–May · Pruning: February–March

Why grow it?

• Copes with drought and lime better than most firs: a good choice for a warm, dry spot.
• Evergreen: the dense crown gives shelter and roosting places to birds such as goldcrests, tits and woodpigeons.
• Seeds from the disintegrating cones feed squirrels and seed-eating birds in autumn.
• A stately park tree with a regular conical shape that can live to a great age.
• A piece of Greek mountain history: on Kefalonia, the fir forests of Mount Ainos are protected as a national park.

Greek fir: where does it grow best?

• In the wild in the mountain forests of Greece, at roughly 700–1700 m, often on limestone, in a climate with wet winters and hot, dry summers.
• In the garden: full sun to light partial shade. Young trees tolerate some shade.
• Well-drained soil, from sand to loam; chalky soil is no problem. Avoid wet, heavy clay where water lies.
• It comes into leaf early: avoid frost pockets, where late frosts damage the young shoots.
• Allow for a crown 8–10 m across: plant at least 10 m from buildings and pipes.

Goes well with

• Black pine: Grows in the same mountains in Greece and likes a dry, chalky spot just as much.
• Silver birch: Light, airy foliage and a white trunk that contrast with the dark fir.
• Holly: Evergreen underplanting that tolerates shade and has berries for birds.
• Wood anemone: A white carpet in March–April at the edge of the crown, before the trees come into leaf.

Greek fir: when and how to plant it?

1. Buy a young tree of 60–150 cm in a container or rootballed from a tree nursery: young firs establish better than large ones.
2. Plant in October–November or March–April, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
3. Dig a planting hole twice as wide as the rootball, loosen the bottom and set the tree at the same depth as it was in the pot.
4. Firm the soil well, water straight away with 20–30 litres and spread a mulch of wood chips or bark around the base, keeping it off the trunk.
5. If the tree is taller than 1.5 m, put in an angled stake on the windward side for the first two or three years.
6. Never dig up young trees in the wild or in woodland: buy them from a nursery.

Care

Watering

For the first two summers, a good can of water every week in dry spells. After that it looks after itself: it tolerates drought well.

Feeding

Not needed. A layer of leaf mould or its own needle litter under the crown is enough.

Leader

Always keep the straight leading shoot. If it forms two leaders, cut out the weaker one.

Lower branches

On a free-standing tree, let them sweep down to the ground: that is when it looks best, and the soil beneath stays cool.

Space

Do not plant anything large too close: a fir shaded on one side loses its branches there.

Tip: For a dry, warm spot, choose a Greek fir rather than a European silver fir or a Nordmann fir: it suffers less in dry summers. Do not plant it in a frost pocket, though, where the young shoots get frosted.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: February–March.

When: Rarely needed. Do small corrections in February–March, before the buds break.

How:

• Remove dead, broken or diseased branches back to the trunk or a healthy side branch.
• If there are two competing leaders, cut out the weaker one so that a single straight leader remains.
• If you want to walk under the tree, gradually remove the lowest branches, a few each year, flush with the trunk.
• Do not cut into the top or prune the tree into shape: firs do not regrow from bare wood.

Caution: Never cut off the leading shoot: a fir struggles to form a new top and loses its fine shape.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Pick cones in September–October before they break up, or collect the winged seeds. Sow in spring after 4–6 weeks of cold, moist storage in the fridge, or sow outdoors in a tray in autumn. Many seeds are empty: sow generously.

Grafting

Cultivars are grafted onto a rootstock of another fir; that is a job for a nursery.

Greek fir: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −22 °C.

• Evergreen: in winter the dark crown gives shelter to birds.
• Hardy to about −20 to −25 °C; the tree itself rarely suffers in a Belgian winter.
• Its weak point is spring: the new shoots come out early and can be frosted by a night frost in April. The tree usually recovers but grows less that year.
• Heavy, wet snow can break branches: gently shake it off young trees.

Diseases and pests

• Frosted shoots: Brown, limp young shoots after a late frost. Cut them off in June and avoid planting in a frost pocket in future.
• Woolly adelgids: White, woolly tufts on needles and shoots. Usually harmless; hose young trees down with a strong jet of water.
• Root rot: In wet, compacted soil the roots die and the needles discolour. Only plant in well-drained soil.
• Bare base: Too much shade or competition from other trees. Give the tree space and light all round.

Through the year

• February: Cut out dead or broken branches. Clear away cone debris.
• March: Plant. Remove a second leader if there is one.
• April: Buds break and flowering begins. Cover young trees with fleece on frosty nights.
• May: Flowering: yellow male cones shed pollen, young cones at the top of the crown.
• June: Cut off frosted shoots. Water young trees in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells, especially in the first two years.
• September: The cones ripen and break up. Collect seed.
• October: Plant. Sow seed outdoors in a tray.
• November: Plant. Mulch around young trees.
• December: Rest. Shake wet snow off young trees.

Did you know?

• Its scientific name refers to Kefalonia, the Greek island where it forms large forests on Mount Ainos; these forests are protected as a national park.
• Like all firs, it does not drop its cones: they fall apart on the tree, scale by scale, and only a bare spike remains upright on the branch.
• In northern Greece it grades into the European silver fir; the trees in between are called Abies borisii-regis, after King Boris III of Bulgaria.