The noble fir (figs. 11 and 12) is a common mountain tree in the western
parts of Washington and Oregon. Like amabilis fir, it is usually called
larch by lumbermen. About Mount Rainier it grows at elevations of from
3,500 to 5,000 feet in dense stands associated with amabilis fir,
western hemlock, and Douglas fir. The noble fir avoids steep side hills
and exposed situations. In moist soils on flats and gentle slopes it
often reaches a height of from 150 to 200 feet. The tall and upright
trunk supports a rounded crown of bluish green foliage, which is very
noticeable among the purer green leaves of its associates. The branches
are short, thick, and crowded with stiff, flattened leaves, which turn
upward and outward. The light-green bract-covered cones are sometimes 6
inches long and nearly 3 inches thick. They ripen early in September.
Seed is borne every year, although in some seasons it is much more
abundant than in others.
[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Noble fir (_Abies nobilis_).]
[Illustration: FIG. 12.--Noble fir (_Abies nobilis_), 6 feet in
diameter.]
The wood is strong, close grained, and elastic. It is used for lumber
and particularly for inside finishing. The noble fir is a slow-growing
and long-lived tree. Old trees in mixed forests are easily distinguished
from the associated species by the ashy-brown outer bark broken into
large irregular plates.