Common Name: Spanish Fir, Blue Spanish Fir
Plant Type: Evergreen conifer
Family: Pinaceae
Height/Spread: 60 to 80 feet high by 15 to 30 feet wide.  Upright and pyramidal.
Bark/Stem: Not remarkable. Branches in regular whorls, usually forming a symmetrical crown.
Leaves: Leaves are thick, blunt needles that radiate densely from all sides of the branch and are frosty blue to bluish-gray in color and waxy in appearance.
Flowers: No flowers. Produces cones, cylindrical and erect 10 to 15 cm long.  Female cones (with hidden bracts) are borne in the upper branches in late spring to early summer. After ripening (from green to brown) in autumn they break up to release seeds. The male cones are borne throughout the crown.
Culture: Performs best in full sun and is drought tolerant once established. Grows well in acidic or alkaline soils. Likes good drainage; tolerates heat well, but needs a little water in very dry summers. Young plants need extra phosphorus for good root development.
Diseases/Pests: Has few diseases and pests. Bark beetles, bagworms, wooly  aphids, spruce budworms, fungus that cause needle blight, rust disease, and root rot are a few.
Uses: Use alone as a focal point in medium to large scale settings. In rows useful as screening. Makes a good contrast plant with our native evergreens in large settings.   As a slow grower it is suitable for Bonsai. Provides good shelter for wildlife.
Natural Range: Native of mountains of Spain, between 1000 and 1800 m.
Hardiness: USDA zones 6-9
Garden Location: Garden Entrance Bed 05.