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Name that Fir

Ever been riding up the chairlift and wonder what sorts of trees are passing you by?
 

I remember my first time skiing up on Bald Mt. here in Ketchum and being awed by the spire-like trees that rose on either side of me. I later learned that these were Subalpine Fir. I still can not believe how tall and narrow they are. In direct contrast are the contorted “dragon trees” of lower Sunnyside slopes. These are windblown and bonsai-ed Douglas Fir, contorted by many decades of poor soils and windy conditions. Perhaps my favorite are the giant and ponderous Douglas firs marching up the slope just above Rock Garden. You can see them from anywhere in Ketchum and they are particularly striking from north and east of town.
 

    

Subalpine Fir on Mid River

Tall Douglas Fir         on Ridge South Slope

Contorted Douglas Fir above    Rock Garden

While these are the most prominent trees in the winter, summer hiking will reveal many more that are of little visual consequence in the winter.
 

Upon opening my landscape architecture business in Ketchum, I tried to use these “Baldy trees” in my projects, but quickly found that they were very hard to find in the landscaping biz. In addition, I was told that both species, Douglas Fir and Subalpine Fir, are very difficult to transplant.
 

Really?
 

I decided to find out for myself, and regret to report that the naysayers were somewhat right. The trees are harder to keep alive the first year than your typical spruce, which will grow in stone. The key I have learned is to start with smaller transplant trees; this really helps the survival rate. Additionally, one can always start with a seedling. Here are some local sources of seedling trees.

 

 

Conservation Seedling & Restoration
Kimberly, Idaho
James Eells, 208-423-4835

 

Boise Nation Forest - Lucky Peak Nursery
Boise, Idaho
(208) 343-1977

 

University of Idaho Pitkin Forest Nursery
Moscow, Idaho
Annette Brusven, 208-885-3888
 

More information online:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Douglas-fir
http://westernexplorers.us/SubalpineFir.html