Abies amabilis

Etymology

The species name is Latin for 'lovely'.

Distribution and ecology

The species is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range from the extreme southeast of Alaska, through western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, to the extreme northwest of California. It grows from sea level to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in the north of the range, and to 610–2,000 m (2,000–6,560 ft) in the south of the range. Populations on the east slope of the Cascades are confined to elevations above 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Washington and 1,160 m (3,810 ft) in Oregon.

It is always found in temperate rainforests with relatively high precipitation and cool, humid summers. Growing in dense stands, it prospers in shade and snow. Common associate trees are western hemlock in northern ranges, Douglas-fir in central areas, and California buckeye in the extreme southern area of its range. Western hemlock is equally shade tolerant, but Pacific silver fir saplings are more resilient of ground obstacles. Though its thin bark makes it susceptible to fire, the slow-growing saplings succeed less shade-tolerant species. It survives well at high elevation, but eventually succumbs to root or heart rot, in addition to diseases and insects such as Adelges piceae.

On northeastern Vancouver Island, Pacific silver fir grows along with western hemlock in dense forests with sparse understory vegetation. Another type of forest dominated by western redcedar and western hemlock with more open canopies and an understories composed primarily of salal (Gaultheria shallon) also occurs in the area. The two forest types occur in areas with very similar environmental conditions and are separated by sharp boundaries, often less than 10 m (33 ft) wide. Western redcedar recruitment is nearly absent in the western hemlock–Pacific silver fir forest type, and there is no evidence of a transitional stage between the two types. It has been hypothesized that, once established, these forest types are self-sustaining and are unlikely to change unless a major disturbance occurs.

Uses

Indigenous Nations, including the Nuxalk, Haisla, and Kitasoo, used A. amabilis for medicinal purposes. Ethnobotanist Daniel Moerman notes, for example, that Nuxalk Peoples mixed mountain goat tallow with liquid pitch to treat sore throat. An infusion of bark, by contrast, may have been used to address stomach issues.

In addition to medicinal uses, hardened pitch of the plant was sometimes chewed for pleasure by the Ditidaht Peoples. The foliage has an attractive scent and was admired for its scent long before the arrival of European settlers in its native range. The Ditidaht brought boughs into their homes as an air freshener, whereas Nlakaʼpamux peoples boiled boughs to create unique plant-based hair perfumes.

The wood is soft and not very strong; settlers thus tended to use this species for paper making, packing crates, and other cheap construction work. The lumber is often paired with that of western hemlock.

Seeds were not brought to Europe for cultivation until the 19th century, when David Douglas first transported seed to Britain in 1830. Today, the tree is sometimes planted as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, though its requirement for cool, humid summers limits its optimal areas; successful growth away from its native range is restricted to areas like western Scotland and southern New Zealand. Pacific silver fir is sometimes used for Christmas decoration, including Christmas trees.