Amabilis fir (figs. 9 and 10) ranges from southern Alaska to Oregon. It
is abundant in the park at elevations from 2,500 to 5,000 feet on level
bench lands, and gentle slopes with a northern exposure. It is rarely
found in unmixed stands, but is usually associated with western hemlock,
Douglas fir, and noble fir. The largest trees are 150 to 180 feet high
and 3 to 5 feet in diameter. In dense forests the stem is free from
branches for 50 to 100 feet.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.--Amabilis fir (_Abies amabilis_).]
At altitudes over 4,000 feet, small amabilis firs often occur in
clusters and open groves. The trunk is covered with branches which grow
to the ground, turning downward and outward in long graceful curves,
admirably adapted to withstand the pressure of the frozen snow. The
foliage is a deep and brilliant green, forming a strong contrast to the
dark-purple cones. The seeds ripen each year early in October. Like the
seed of the other alpine species of trees that grow in the cold and
humid climate of the high Cascades, they soon lose their vitality when
stored in dry places. The amabilis fir is grown in Europe as an
ornamental tree. Under cultivation it loses much of the natural grace
and beauty which it acquired in adapting itself to the deep snows and
long winters of its native environment.
[Illustration: FIG. 10.--The forests of western hemlock, amabilis fir,
and other species, on the middle slopes of the mountains, along the
Crater Lake trail, Mount Rainier National Park.