A fine fir...

Just a few words about another great introduction of E. H. Wilson: the Korean fir, Abies koreana. Because of this species' strong and robust growth, many mature trees present quite the specimen, as can be seen below in this accession growing on Gymnosperm Slope of Cornell Plantations.

In addition to its wonderful form, one of its most notable features is the color of the cones as they mature--a bold blue to purple. Standing upright on the branches, the stout cones are quite a site to behold! I walk past this part of the collection on a daily basis, and frequently stop to chat with the gardener (P.S.), a great conifer enthusiast. He mentioned that this year the firs throughout the collection have produced a bumper crop of cones, far above normal.

Another characteristic of this fir (and with many others) is the silvery-white undersides of the needles. These lightly-colored bands are actually rows of stomata, the tiny pores through which gases and water are exchanged with the atmosphere (the process known as transpiration).