Woody > Abies > Abies concolor > Abies concolor 'Wintergold'
Abies concolor
'Wintergold'
Wintergold White Fir
Mike's
Opinion
"
Abies concolor “wintergold” is a medium-sized pyramidal tree that has an interesting ornamental value from its beautiful yellow colour caused by colder temperatures. It is commonly used as a specimen and provides amazing winter colour. Abies concolor changes from green to yellow over the year, so it'll always have a different ornamental value.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Pinaceae |
| Genus |
| Abies |
| Species |
| concolor |
| Cultivar |
| 'Wintergold' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 2 - 5a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H8 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-34) - (-29) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-30) - (-20) |
| Height |
| 3 - 4.5 m |
| Spread |
| 1.2 - 1.5 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| The tree has a great ornamental value from its colour change from temperature reaching freezing, and has horizontal branching with a pyramidal shape. |
| Landscape |
| Abies concolor is a great accent tree that needs lots of room. The yellow needles make it a great plant to accent your garden, and will add some winter interest. The tree could also be used for specimen planting because of its beautiful yellow colour. |
| Cultivation |
| The Abies will tolerate clay, loam, or sandy soils that are moist but well-draining. Prefers acidic or neutral pH with full sun. Plant in a slightly wind-protected area to protect from cold winds. |
| Shape |
| Starts out as small a globe shape and grows into a broad pyramidal tree. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| Butter-yellow needles from temperature changes during winter, and during warm months a chartreuse-green. The branches come off horizontally. |
| Pests |
| The Abies is pest and disease-free for the most part in Ontario, rarely having problems. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The older bark on the Abies is grey-bluish. The new stems are green and come off parallel. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Abies buds are rough-textured and have 3 oval buds on them. The buds are brown and often resinous. |
| Leaf Description |
| Coarse, butter-yellow or green, flat needles are arranged on the newer growth. Needles are 4-5cm long and curl upwards. |
| Flower Description |
| Produces cones 3-5 inches in diameter very late into maturity (estimated 20+ years). Cones are a green-purple when young and turn brown in maturity. |
| Fruit Description |
| Insignificant and rare to see cones that turn into a dull grey in maturity. The cones hang on the bottom of branches and eventually fall apart and open to release their seeds. The cones are 6-12 cm long and 4-6 cm broad. |
| Colour Description |
| The tree turns completely butter-yellow in winter, and in spring new growth emerges a chartreuse-green over top of the yellow foliage. After spring, the foliage turns green until the next winter. The bark is a light grey after first maturing and turns dark grey farther into maturity. |
| Texture Description |
| Abies has a medium texture and can become softer looking during winter when yellow. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Whistling Gardens, Wilsonville, Ontario, Canada. |
| Propagation |
| Viable seed can be stratified in a moist condition for 60 days. Woody cuttings can also be taken from December to March, and it is recommended to use rooting hormone. The best way would be by stratified seed because it has the highest success rate. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Abies as a straight species has many medicinal and ethnobotanical uses. I believe that the properties of the straight species oils carry over to the “Wintergold” cultivar. Traditional uses of the Abies were by Native Americans from New Mexico, where they used the foliage for rheumatism and lung issues. Current uses show that the oils properties can be used for food preservation. |
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