European Silver Fir Abies picea

The European Silver Fir (A. picea) strongly resembles, when young, the Balsam Fir. But its leaves are longer and coarser, and the cones are much larger, while it also attains twice or three times the size of the latter. In the forests of Germany it sometimes rises over 100 feet; and it always becomes a large tree in a favorable soil. It grows slowly during the first twenty years, but afterwards advances with much more rapidity. It thrives well, and is quite hardy in this country.