Abies Lasiocarpa (Subalpine fir)

Scientific Name
Abies lasiocarpa

Trade Name
Subalpine fir

Family Name
Pinaceae

Common Names
Alpine fir, Balsam, Balsam fir, Corkbark fir, Fir, Pino real blanco, Rocky mountain fir, Subalpine fir, Western balsam fir, Western fir, White balsam, White fir

Regions of Distribution
North America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Canada, United States

Common Uses
Beams, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Cabin construction, Casks, Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Decorative plywood, Dressed boards, Factory construction, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Heavy construction, Joists, Light construction, Lumber, Packing cases, Plywood, Porch columns, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Rough boards/dimension stock, Rough construction, Structural plywood, Utility plywood

Environmental Profile

Rank of relative endangerment based primarily on the number of occurrences of the species globally.
Rare within its natural habitat in the states of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Species with a Rare rating are not currently considered as Endangered or Vulnerable, but are at risk because they normally exist in small numbers, are usually present in small quantities over a wide range, or are naturally concentrated within a very small geographical area

Distribution Overview
In the U.S. and Canada, Subalpine Fir grows naturally in mountains from central Yukon and the eastern parts of southeast Alaska south through Alberta and British Columbia. It can also be found from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana south to central Colorado, southern New Mexico and southeast Arizona. Locally, it may be found in northeast Nevada and northwest California as well.

Heartwood Color

The latewood area of the growth rings may have a reddish brown, lavender, or roseate tinge. Some knots may have a yellowish tinge

Sapwood Color

Grain

Texture

Natural Durability

Odor

Kiln Schedules

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying

Tree Size

Product Sources
Subalpine fir has strength properties that are similar to those of White spruce (Picea glauca), Engelman spruce (Picea engelmannii) and Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Timber produced by these species are grouped and marketed in the Spruce-Pine-Fir grade.

Certified Source

Boring

Gluing

Mortising

Moulding

Nailing

Planing

Resistance to Impregnation

Screwing

Turning

Strength Properties

Numerical Data

References
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods – Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Canadian Forestry Service. 1981. Canadian Woods – Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors. Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.

Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees – Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.

Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.

USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Western Wood Products Association. 19__. Softwoods of the Western USA. Published and Distributed by the Western Wood Products Association, Yeon Building, 522 S.W. Fifth Avenue, Portland, Oregon.