Description
Canaan fir is one of the most popular Christmas trees.They are found mainly in the mid-Appalachia region and in the higher elevations of the Appalachian mountains above 4,000 feet in the south most notably in the Cannan valley in West Virginia where the tree was first identified. Can be seen growing from barren rock in its native range. In Michigan it is not generally found growing naturally.
Unlike Fraser fir trees, they can handle wet soil. They are an open, pyramidal tree, with stiff, horizontal branches, ending in stout, yellowish-brown, fuzzy twigs, with crowded shiny foliage. Canaan Fir needles are a lustrous dark green from above, silvery on the underside, aromatic, narrow and straight. They grow 1/2″ to 1″ long with a notched tip.
On young Canaan fir they are scattered, spirally arranged in rows and cover all sides of the branch, as the tree ages they just grow on the upper side of the branch. Buds on the tree are small resinous and brown in the winter. They are late to break bud in the spring, so this makes them perfect for areas with a high risk of spring frost damage.
The bark on the Canaan fir is rough and a cinnamon-red when the tree is older. Young trees have a smooth, gray, resinous bark. The main pests that affect the Cannan fir are the balsam wooly adelgid and spruce budworm. They can be controlled with spraying.Fine Christmas tree though the Fraser and Douglas fir are more in demand. Our u-cut canaan fir Christmas trees will be ready to cut November 2027.
Canaan fir do have late bud break so are suitable for sites that Douglas fir or blue spruce would burn from frost damage.
Canaan Fir Tree
Scientific Name: Abies balsamea phanerolipsis
Zone: 3-6
Mature Height: 40-60 ft, rarely they can grow to 100′
Mature Width: 20-30 ft
Growth Rate: Slow, about a foot a year
Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained soil – sandy soil once established is okay
Drought Tolerance: Intolerant
Flood Tolerance: Poor
Sun Requirements: Sun
Fall Color: None
Wildlife Value: Deer browse the greenery. Squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents eat the seeds.
