OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Gymnosperms (non-flowering plants): Conifers: Pinales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Abies fraseri   FAMILY Pinaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Abies fraseri   FAMILY Pinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Abies fraseri

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Abies fraseri

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 016-04-001:

Abies fraseri   FAMILY Pinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Abies fraseri

 

COMMON NAME:
Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_083

        

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_abfr_001_lvd

        

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm0501b_02

January        

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm160503_261

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm160503_281

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm160503_331

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm160503_334

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

After seed cones disintegrate, the spikelike upright central axis is left, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm160503_336

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm170507_721

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm170507_722

May    Jackson County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

The flat fragrant leaves leave circular scars on the twig when removed, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

Keith Bradley    kab_abies_fraseri_8831

May        VA

Grayson Highlands State Park

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

Keith Bradley    kab_abies_fraseri_8834

May    Grayson County    VA

Grayson Highlands State Park

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm0407t_34

July    Mitchell County    NC

The Roan Highlands

The bark has resin blisters, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_a_fraseri_12

July    Towns-Union Counties    GA

Brasstown Bald

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_a_fraseri_4

July    Towns-Union Counties    GA

Brasstown Bald

Leaves 2-ranked (esp in lower parts of tree) to spiraled, flexible, per Flora of North America.

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    s050806_ij

August    Transylvania County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

Needles not more than 1" long, green above & with chalky white bands below, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE needles of Fir, Hemlock and Spruce

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm140913_680

September    Haywood County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

Foliage soft to the touch, with a strong resinous odor when rubbed, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE conifers (not including Pines)

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm190914_1567

September    Swain County    NC

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm190914_1568

September    Swain County    NC

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

Ron Lance    rwl_abiesfraseri

September    Jackson County    NC

Mature seed cones erect, cylindrical, about 2.5" long, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE cones of Fir, Hemlock and Spruce

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm061104_014

November    Swain County    NC

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

JK Marlow    jkm061104_015b

November    Swain County    NC

image of Abies fraseri, Fraser Fir, She Balsam, Southern Balsam

L.L. (Chick) Gaddy    llg_fraserfirredspruce

Month Unknown        

Left: soft balsam-scented needles of Fraser Fir. Right: prickly Red Spruce, per Alpine South: Plants and Plant Communities of the High Elevations of the Southern Appalachians (Gaddy, 2014).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Abies fraseri   FAMILY Pinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Abies fraseri   FAMILY Pinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Abies fraseri

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Abies fraseri

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 016-04-001:
Abies fraseri   FAMILY Pinaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Abies fraseri

 

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8

Tree
Perennial
Monoecious

Habitat: High elevation forests, from about 1500-2037 m, per Weakley's Flora

Native to North Carolina, naturalized in Georgia

Rare in NC Mountains (waifs in GA)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Evergreen
Needles flattened, to 1" long
Needles not in bundles, arranged on all sides of twig

"FLOWER":
Spring/Summer
Unisexual

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Perple/Tan-brown
Cone

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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