Abies fraseri

Abies fraseri

The Fraser fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh.) Poir., 1817) is an arboreal species belonging to the Pinaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view, it belongs to the Eukaryota Domain, Plantae Kingdom, Pinophyta Division, Pinopsida Class, Pinales Order, Pinaceae Family and therefore to the Genus Abies and the Species A. fraseri.
The following terms are synonymous:
– Abies balsamea subsp. fraseri (Pursh) A.E. Murray;
– Abies balsamea var. fraseri (Pursh) Spach;
– Abies fraseri f. fraseri;
– Abies fraseri f. prostrate Rehder;
– Abies fraseri var. prostrate (Rehder) Hornibr .;
– Abies humilis Bach.Pyl .;
– Picea balsamea var. fraseri (Pursh) J.Nelson;
– Picea fraseri (Pursh) Loudon;
– Picea hudsonia Gordon;
– Pinus balsamea var. fraseri (Pursh) Nutt .;
– Pinus fraseri Pursh.

Etymology –
The term Abies comes from Abies, classical Latin name (Virgil, Egloghe, from the Sanskrit root abh gushing, because of its resin.
The specific epithet fraseri was given in honor of the Scottish botanist, nurseryman and collector John Fraser (1750-1811).

Geographical Distribution and Habitat –
Fraser’s fir is an endemic species of the Appalachian Mountains that grows in an area between North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Its habitat is that of mountain areas, between 1,200 and 2,000 m. s.l.m., exposed to the north and with podzol type soils with slightly acid pH, characterized by a climate with cool summers and cold and snowy winters and annual rainfall varying between 850 and 2,000 mm.
In these ecosystems it can form pure woods, especially at high altitudes, and more commonly in association with Picea rubens, Betula papyrifera, Tsuga caroliniana, Betula alleghaniensis, Sorbus americana, Acer saccharum and Fraxinus caroliniana. Ericaceae and other herbs are common in the undergrowth, as well as real moss rugs (Hylocomium splendens).

Description –
Abies fraseri is a small to medium-sized conifer species that can reach 25 m in height.
The plant has a conical shape. The trunk can reach 75 cm in diameter and has bark, smooth and gray, which with age evolves into reddish plaques.
The main branches form a right angle with the trunk and the secondary twigs are opposite, pale yellow-brown with reddish hair.
The resinous buds are conical in shape, light brown in color with an acute apex; the covering perulas are triangular, resinous, with full margins and sharp points.
The leaves are needle-like, with a glossy dark green color; they are up to 2.5 cm long, with a rounded or slightly indented apex.
The female strobili are dark purple in color, cylindrical in shape and up to 6 cm long and up to 4 cm wide; they are sessile and with a rounded tip; the scales are fan-shaped, 3 cm long, 3,5 cm wide, smooth. The bracts are yellowish-green. Male strobili are instead yellow-red or yellow-green.
The seeds have brown color, measure up to 5 mm, with a purple wing of 5 mm, with a number of cotyledons of about 5.

Cultivation –
Fraser fir is now grown on some plantations in Scotland and sold throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland mainly for the marketing of Christmas trees.
It is also grown in several northern states in the United States and in adjacent parts of the province of Quebec, always for the trade of Christmas trees.
The cultivation substrate should be possibly acidic with a slightly acidic pH and with climatic conditions typical of areas with mild summer weather and colder winters.
Important is the availability of water especially for plants grown in the nursery.
Furthermore, to reach the size of a tree of 1.8 – 2 m, it requires a period of 7 – 10 years.

Uses and Traditions –
Abies fraseri is closely related to balsam fir (Abies balsamea), of which it has occasionally been treated as a subspecies (such as A. balsamea subsp. Fraseri (Pursh) E.Murray) or a variety (such as A. balsamea var Fraseri (Pursh) Spach).
This fir has no particular importance as a source of timber but above all as a Christmas tree.
This success is linked to various characteristics of the plant such as: the shape, the retention of the needle, the dark blue-green color, the pleasant scent and excellent characteristics of resistance to shipping.
For this reason, the cultivation of this species, both as Christmas trees and also for the branches alone, is an activity that, especially in North Carolina, produces great profits.
So much is the approval of this plant that, in 2005, the General Assembly of North Carolina approved the law that recognizes the characteristics of the state’s official Christmas tree to Abies fraseri.
The Abies fraseri has been used several times as a White House Christmas tree.
However, it is also used as an ornamental tree in private and public gardens.
As regards the ecological and conservation aspects, it is emphasized that, in addition to the difficult climatic conditions in which it grows and the competition with antagonistic species, this species is threatened above all by the insect Adelges piceae (of the Superfamily of the Phylloxeroidea), which since 1957 to 1980 it caused the death of almost 2 million specimens, substantially reducing the total population of Abies fraseri.
Due to these attacks, the area of ​​this plant has become very fragmented with an area of ​​occupation of about 500 km². At the moment, no effective remedies have been found to eliminate the parasite.
For this reason, the species has been included among the endangered species on the IUCN Red List (Endangered).

Preparation method –
As well as being a Christmas tree plant, Fraser’s fir is known for its resin which has balsamic properties, similar to other fir trees. On the other hand, there are no other food-related uses.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Tips and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (edited by), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.

Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for information purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; therefore, no responsibility is accepted for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.