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We have two eyes to see two sides of things, but there must be a third eye which will see everything at the same time and yet not see anything. That is to understand Zen.

D. T. Suzuki

Balsam Fir

Abies balsamea

You know balsam fir. It is the archtypical Christmas tree. Wonderful smell. Soft sprays of needles.

It grows here. I know one only 6 miles from my house, down by the river But it isn't common. This is a challenging tree.
It will always need additional water, unless you plant it in a depression.
It needs a spot where it doesn't get reflection off the house in winter, but is also protected from the winter winds.

If you are on the bald prairie, start with something else.
When your something elses are 6 feet tall, come see me for a fir.

According to forestry.about.com, the only ingredient we're missing is water. Where it grows well it typically gets 30-40 inches of precipitation per year.

If you have a partially shaded hollow that's wet for a couple days after a rain, this is a possible tree for that spot, especially if it's a bit shady too.

Balsam Fir Abies balsamea
Location Potsize Height Count Price
Woods1 T2 12 - 16 in. 486 $8 - $10 ($8/Ft)
sprink1 T1 6 - 12 in. 120 $4 - $8 ($8/Ft)
sprink1 sq2 6 - 12 in. 193 $4 - $8 ($8/Ft)
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Sherwood's Forests is located about 75 km southwest of Edmonton, Alberta. Please refer to the map on our Contact page for directions.