Noble fir

Abies procera

In other languages: Nobilisspar (Nederlands) · Sapin noble (Français)

The noble fir comes from the cool, damp mountain forests of the north-western United States, in the Cascade Range and the Coast Range of Washington and Oregon. There it becomes a giant tree; in gardens it grows into a slender, regular cone. The blue-green needles curve gracefully upwards along the top of the shoots and feel soft to the touch. Everyone knows it as a Christmas tree and as Christmas greenery, because the branches hold their needles for a very long time. Older trees bear large, upright cones; the form ‘Glauca’ has even bluer needles.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Sand or loam
acid to neutral
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -30 °C
Size
30 m
tall, 8 m wide

Key facts
Height	30 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous

Identify

Noble fir: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Slender, regular cone with horizontal branches in whorls. In gardens 15–30 m tall and 6–8 m wide after several decades.
Needles: 1–3.5 cm, blue-green to grey-green, soft and not prickly. On the upper side of the shoot they bend sharply upwards.
Cones: Large, 10–20 cm, upright on the top branches. Protruding, turned-down bracts cover the cone almost completely; in autumn the cones break up on the tree.
Bark: Smooth and silver-grey with resin blisters on young trees, later cracked into plates.
Roots: Deep and firm in loose, moist soil; in wet or compacted soil they stay shallow.

Plants: April–May and September–October

In your garden

Why grow it?

A striking blue-green, regular cone in a large garden all year round.
The soft needles stay on the branches for a long time: ideal for Christmas greenery.
Older trees carry impressive upright cones 10–20 cm long.
Very hardy, even on a cold, exposed site.
Dense branches that give birds shelter.

Noble fir: where does it grow best?

Sun to partial shade; it likes cool, moist air, not a hot, dry spot.
Acid to neutral, loose soil: sand or loam with plenty of humus. On chalky soil the needles turn yellow.
Moderately moist to moist: the soil should never dry out for long, but water must be able to drain away.
It grows tall and wide: allow 6–8 m of space and plant it at least 6 m from buildings.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Sand or loam
Acidity: Acid or neutral
Moisture: Normal or wet
Size: 30 m tall, 8 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

Rhododendron: An evergreen flowering shrub that wants the same acid, moist soil.
Heather: Low, flowering ground cover on acid, sandy soil.
Ferns: Fresh underplanting for the partial shade at the edge of the crown.
Japanese maple: Fine leaves and vivid autumn colour against the blue-green of the fir.

Maintenance

Noble fir: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

Plant in April–May or in September–October, in soil that is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in some leaf mould or ericaceous compost.
Set the tree at the same depth as it was in the pot or root ball and firm the soil well.
Secure a larger tree to an angled stake so that the wind cannot loosen the young roots.
Water straight away with 20–30 litres and keep the soil moist during the first year.
Mulch with pine needles, bark or leaf mould: this keeps the soil cool and slightly acid.

Care

Water: For the first few years, water generously every week in dry spells. Later too, water in hot summers, as it does not cope well with drought.
Feeding: Usually not needed. If needles turn yellow on poor soil, give some leaf mould or conifer fertiliser in spring.
Mulching: Every spring, a layer of bark or leaf mould round the base to stop the soil drying out.
Lower branches: Leave them on: bare patches on a fir do not fill in again.
Root-balled Christmas tree: Keep it indoors for ten days at most, in a cool spot, and water it. Then stand it outside in its pot in a sheltered place and plant it out in April.

Tip: Give it a cool spot with acid soil and keep the soil moist under a layer of mulch: the needles will then stay blue-green and dense.

Noble fir: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed: it naturally grows into a regular cone shape.

How:

If a double leader forms, cut out the weaker one so that a single leading shoot remains.
Remove dead or broken branches back to the trunk or to a healthy side branch.
For Christmas greenery, cut a branch here and there in December, spread over the tree and never the leader.
Do not cut into bare old wood: it will not grow new needles.

Caution: If it grows too big for the garden, pruning will not help: choose a site with enough room from the outset.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed: Sow in spring, after keeping the seed cool and moist in the fridge for a few weeks. Seedlings grow slowly for the first years and like light shade.
Grafting: Blue forms such as ‘Glauca’ are grafted by nurseries. Fir cuttings root poorly.

Noble fir: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

Very hardy, to about −30 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
Shake heavy, wet snow off young trees so that the branches do not break.
After the holidays, stand a potted Christmas tree outside in a sheltered spot; wrap the pot in hessian against freezing.
The needles lose water in winter too: give potted trees a little water during dry, frost-free spells.

Diseases and pests

Yellow needles: Often caused by chalky or very poor soil. Mulch with pine needles or leaf mould and give a little conifer fertiliser; on truly chalky soil, choose another species.
Woolly aphids: White, woolly tufts on shoots and trunk, sometimes with distorted shoots. Hose off with a strong jet of water; cut out badly affected shoots.
Drought damage: Brown needles and bare patches after a hot, dry summer. Water generously in dry spells and mulch the base.
Root rot: Dull needles turning brown and a sickly tree on wet, compacted soil. Prevent it by loosening the soil and letting water drain away; an affected tree is hard to save.

Through the year

January: Rest. Stand a potted Christmas tree outside in a sheltered spot.
March: Top up the mulch of bark or leaf mould.
April: Plant, including a root-balled Christmas tree from the winter.
May: Plant. New shoots break; watch for woolly aphids.
June: Water in dry spells, especially young trees.
July: Water generously in heat and drought.
August: Water in dry spells. Check for woolly aphids.
September: Plant while the soil is still warm.
October: Plant. Ripe cones break up on the tree.
December: Cut a branch here and there for Christmas greenery.

You and this species

Did you know?

The Scottish plant collector David Douglas brought the species to Europe around 1830.
The name procera comes from the Latin word for ‘tall’: in the wild it is one of the tallest firs in the world.
It is widely grown in Europe for Christmas trees and Christmas greenery, because the branches keep their needles for a very long time.

Garden plants · All species