Abies concolor “Compacta”

Dwarf White Fir
Abies concolor “Compacta”
Type: Dwarf Evergreen Conifer
Exposure: Sun / Part Shade
Water: Regular

This slow growing cultivar of the much larger White Fir is prized for the striking, powder blue color of its newer foliage. The needles themselves are somewhat flattened and whitish on their undersides and emanate in all directions from their stems; older growth is a silvery green. Growing just a few inches per year, this little guy will reach just 6ft (1.8m) tall or so in 10 years, with only 2-3ft (60-90cm) of spread, and (potentially) a quite irregular branching pattern. This can make for an odd shaped tree, such as the example in the photos from the Japanese Garden at the Gardens at HCP, here in Victoria, BC. In this case, the unorthodox growth habit was accentuated to form a beautifully contorted structural accent.

Cheers,

John