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Abies squamata
Abies squamata, known as the Flaky Fir, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. This fir occurs in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau and western Sichuan (China) in an altitude from 3200 metres to the tree-line at 4400 metres. Exceptionally it occurs up to 4700 metres, the highest tree line tree growth in the world. It is dominant on north-facing slopes and often grows with Balfour's spruce (Picea balfouriana).
Abies squamata is occasionally grown in botanical gardens, but is very difficult to grow, due to its slow growth and susceptibility to late spring frosts. Very few trees have survived in cultivation for any length of time. In Britain, the best growth has been in the relatively cool and dry climate of eastern Scotland, with notable original introduction specimens at Durris Castle near Aberdeen, and formerly at Dawyck Botanic Garden until it blew down in 2022.
Silver Fir · Pacific Silver Fir · Balsam Fir · Baishan Fir · Bristlecone Fir · Greek Fir · Shensi Fir · Cilician Fir · White Fir · Fansipan Fir · Delavay's Fir · Sikkim Fir
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Abies squamata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
