California Red Fir
Abies magnifica
Also known as: Shasta red fir
- Native to:
- United States
No machine-readable author provided. Wsiegmund assumed (based on copyright claims).
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Coniferophyta | - Conifers
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Genus:
- Abies
- Species:
- Abies magnifica
- USDA Symbol:
- ABMA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 6000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Barbara colfaxiana, Cydia bracteatana, Douglas-fir tussock moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata), Eucosma siskiyouana
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, seed source
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Thick bark on mature trees provides fire resistance. Young trees susceptible to mortality from fire. Moderate fire return intervals historically maintained mixed-age stands.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- deep, well-drained, sandy loam
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers soils with high organic matter
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate best with light exposure and consistent moisture at cool temperatures around 15-20°C.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are placed in cold moist stratification for 28 days.
Source: npn.rngr.net