Fir

Firs (Abies) are about 45-55 species of evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae. Fir trees can reach heights of 10–80 m tall and trunk diameters of 0.5–4 m when mature. The difference between firs and other members of the pine family is that their needle-like leaves are attached to the twig by a base that resembles a small suction cup, and by erect, cylindrical female cones 5–25 cm long that release the winged seeds. The male cones are normally much smaller and spread through the tree so that the wind can help pollinate the female cones.^[1]

Abies - firs
Korean Fir (Abies koreana) cone and foliage
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Abies Mill.
Species
See text

Abies grandis foliage

Like all members of the pine family, these trees have a sticky sap called resin.

Fir wood is not good to use in buildings because it is not very resistant to insects and decay. It is usually cut or squeezed into thin sheets or pieces and made into plywood or chipboard for indoor or temporary outdoor use.^[2] However, fir trees are used widely in gardening. They can be used as shelter trees to protect other plants from wind or grown alone as decorative trees.^[1]

Abies species

Image	Distribution	Scientific Name	Common Name
		Abies alba	Silver Fir
		Abies amabilis	Pacific Silver Fir
		Abies balsamea	Balsam Fir
		Abies beshanzuensis	Baishanzu Fir
		Abies borisii-regis	Bulgarian Fir
		Abies bracteata	Santa Lucia Fir

References

1. The RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, edited by Christopher Brickell, Dorling Kindersley, London, 1996, ISBN 0751304360. p56

2. en:Fir#Uses_and_ecology