If your tree isn’t getting much sun, it may explain a brown or bare appearance – particularly if you’re seeing these changes on the most shaded parts of the tree– (usually the lowest or innermost aspects, or parts that are shaded by fencing or other trees).

Seed cones are 4 ¼ – 8 ¾” long, oblong to cylindrical in green, red, or purple, with conspicuous green bracts overtop. A unique characteristic of the Fraser fir is that its branches angle slightly upwards, giving it a compact appearance. Its needles are sometimes very dark green and occur in two rows. They are flattened with a groove on the upper side and two white bands on the underside, which is where its pores (stomata) are located. Needles are 1/2-1 inch long, darker green on the top and lighter on the bottom. This Douglas fir in September shows normal thinning of the most shaded branches and a maturing cone (they hang directly downwards)

The First Step: Let’s Narrow It Down to the Needles

Another way to tell firs apart from pines or spruces is by their cones. The cones are the fruit of the conifers and fir cones tend to grow straight upward from the branches. Growing on the fir trees, these cones can resemble candles on a Christmas tree. Fir Tree Bark Identification Images By Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service – CC BY 3.0, Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, R. A. Nonenmacher – Own work – CC BY-SA 4.0 Swiss needlecast is common wherever Douglas fir is found worldwide ². Rhabdocline is most common in the United States, but has spread to Europe ³. Both are primarily a cosmetic concern for ordinary tree owners (but they’re a big issue for Christmas tree farms). Badly infected trees can lose all their needles (especially on the lower branches) apart from the current year’s growth, right at the ends. April to late August is suitable for pruning many conifers. Most conifers will not regrow from old, bare wood (yew is an exception), so lightly trim or remove new growth tips to control size. Before a conifer becomes too tall, prune the top off the main vertical trunk to slow further upward growth. In this article, you will learn how to identify many types of conifers. Pictures, descriptions, and identifying features of pine trees, spruce trees, and fir trees will help with conifer identification. Fir vs. Spruce vs. Pine: How to Tell Them Apart

At first glance, many types of conifers may look the same and be hard to identify. One of the best ways to tell pine, spruce, and fir trees apart is by their needle leaves. You may also notice differences in these evergreen trees by looking at their cones, branches and bark. With a few facts about conifers, you will be able to easily identify the different species of these hardy trees. The Pine trees belong to the genus, Pinus, whereas the Fir tree is of the family Abies. This distinction indicates a lot of biological differences between the two trees. We shall not look into the intricacies of biology, but just note the fact that some prominent biological differences separate them. Being a small tree, the 1 ½ to 2 ½” dark purple seed cones with yellow-green scales are frequently visible. Prune deciduous magnolias and walnut trees between mid-summer and early autumn, to avoid excessive bleeding and allow pruning cuts to heal well The Firs trees generally mature around the age of 20 years. What is the most popular Christmas tree?With true firs, their seed cones always stand upright on their branches, unlike other conifers whose cones mostly hang down pendulously from the branches. A little close-up inspection can reveal the cause. If you’re seeing your Doug fir declining, I’d love to share my knowledge and experience (and a little bit of science) with you. There’s every chance we can get it looking healthy again. It’s also important to keep in mind with this particular type of conifer that naming conventions for plants can be confusing. I’m still in the habit of referencing plants by their common name, but the only way to be truly accurate with the variety of plants out there is to use their Latin, or botanical, name. What about the difference between a fir and spruce tree? Again, needle types are the key to identification. Spruce needles have four sides and they roll easily between your fingers. Fir needles are flat and if they don’t roll easily, chances are it is a fir tree, not a pine or spruce. Identifying Spruce, Pine or Fir Based on their Needles It has thin, smooth gray bark with resin blisters that breaks into irregular brownish scales when mature.

One of the smaller species of fir tree is the Korean fir that has a short shrub-like appearance. These evergreens grow at high altitudes in temperate forests that get plenty of rainfall. Firwood is a kind of softwood that has feeble resistance to decay or disease. Apart from paper, it is also used to make plywoods or construct indoor frames for doors and windows. When one side of a Douglas fir tree’s turning brown, this often corresponds to a) the side that’s exposed to the strongest winds or b) the side that gets the strongest sun or c) a side of the tree that’s getting sprayed by road salt– this significantly increases the chance of winter burn.As a rule of thumb, Douglas firs normally need to be watered once every 1-2 weeks over the warmer months and every month over the cooler months.