Fraser Fir

Abies fraseri

Found in high elevation forests, from about 1500-2037 m. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not scored

Native status: sources disagree, under review. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height: 30–55 feet
Spread: 10–25 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 17.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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Abies fraseri — cone photograph — James St. John · CC BY 2.0 · Original photograph

Balsam woolly adelgid. This species has been threatened by the balsam woolly adelgid, an alien pest. Plant caution source

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Evergreen
Bloom: May to June
Fruiting season: September to November

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Recorded in 3 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Northern hardwood forests

High mountain forests of beech, yellow birch and sugar maple, including boulderfield forests.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 123 animals.

American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 4 shared habitats
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Purple Finch
Carpodacus purpureus
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Dendroica caerulescens
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-throated Green Warbler
Dendroica virens
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blackburnian Warbler
Dendroica fusca
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 3 shared habitats

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

80CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Abies

Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Aplectoides conditaX
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia occultanaFall Spruce Needle Moth
Argyrotaenia pinatubanaPine Tube Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
Autographa amplaLarge Looper Moth, Broken-Banded Y, Climbing Looper
Automeris ioIo Moth
Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
Caripeta angustiorataBrown Pine Looper Moth

Show all 80

Caripeta divisataGray Spruce Looper Moth
Choristoneura fumiferanaSpruce Budworm Moth
Choristoneura pinusJack Pine Budworm
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Chrysoteuchia topiariusCranberry Girder, Subterranean Webworm, Topiary Grass-Veneer
Cladara limitariaMottled Gray Carpet, Yellow-Lined Conifer Looper, Yellow-Lined Forest Looper, Black-Angled Wave
Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
Dasychira vagansVariable Tussock Moth
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
Elaphria versicolorVariegated Midget
Epirrita autumnataThe Autumnal Moth, November Moth
Eucopina tocullionanaWhite Pine Cone Borer
Eueretagrotis perattentusTwo-Spot Dart
Eufidonia notatariaPowder Moth
Eulithis propulsataCurrant Eulithis
Eupithecia palpataSmall Pine Looper, Palpata Pug
Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
Feralia comstockiComstock's Sallow
Feralia jocosaJocose Sallow, The Joker
Hydriomena divisariaBlack-Dashed Hydriomena, Transverse-Banded Looper
Hydriomena renunciataRenounced Hydriomena
Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
Hypoprepia fucosaPainted Lichen Moth
Hypsopygia intermedialisRed-Shawled Moth
Idia aemulaCommon Idia
Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
Iridopsis vellivolataLarge Purplish Gray
Korscheltellus gracilisConifer Swift Moth, Graceful Ghost Moth
Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
Macaria bisignataRed-Headed Inchworm
Macaria signariaPale-Marked Angle, Spruce-Fir Looper, Dusky Peacock
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
Nepytia canosariaFalse Hemlock Looper Moth, Evergreen Span Worm
Nepytia semiclusariaPine Conelet Looper
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
Panthea acronyctoidesBlack Zigzag, Tufted Spruce Caterpillar
Paralobesia palliolanaSpruce Mlcromoth
Pero morrisonariaMorrison's Pero
Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
Sicya maculariaSharp-Lined Yellow
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Sphinx gordiusApple Sphinx
Spiramater lutraDarling Mamestra, Splashed Arches, Otter Spiramater, Otter Arches
Syndemis afflictanaFall Dead-Leaf Roller, Gray Leafroller, Black-and-Grey Banded Leafroller
Syngrapha aliasSpruce Looper, Hooked Silver Y
Taniva albolineanaSpruce Needleminer Moth
Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
Trichodezia albovittataWhite-Striped Black
Xestia badicollisWhite Pine Cutworm, Northern Variable Dart, White Pine Dart, Northern Pine Dart
Xestia elimataSouthern Variable Dart, Southern Pine Dart
Xestia praeviaEarly Conifer Dart, Praevia Dart
Zanclognatha cruralisEarly Zanclognatha, Early Fan-Foot
Zanclognatha dentataToothed Zanclognatha, Toothed Fan-Foot
Zanclognatha protumnusalisConifer Zanclognatha, Complex Fan-Foot
Apotomops wellingtoniana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Abies

Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
Loxia leucopteraWhite-winged Crossbill

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Pinaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–7a
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Inconspicuous
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Dark green
Fruit begins: September
Fruit ends: November

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to June” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Inconspicuous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–7a” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “30–55 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “10–25 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

She Balsam; Southern Balsam Fir

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	G2
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Fraser Fir

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Abies