Also called Nordmann Fir, its needle retention and dense foliage make it a favourite specimen Christmas tree in Europe. It was introduced to western Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. Common in tree collections, it is currently infrequent in timber plantations.

Native to mountainous areas of the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea region of Turkey, often forming dense stands.

Monoecious.

Tall (to 60m), typically straight with very dense foliage, each needle held over a decade. Bark smooth grey, becoming scaly, fissured and darker; buds non-resinous. Needles glossy green, 3cm, crowding the shoot. Female cones violet then green-brown, 20cm, with protruding bracts, but high in the tree where they disintegrate, so seldom seen.

Requires moderately high annual rainfall (more than 900mm), intolerant of exposure and waterlogged sites. Cold-hardy but sensitive to late spring frosts. Tolerant of shade. Slow-growing initially (2m in 10 years).

No notable associations where introduced.

No specific threats.

A principal timber species in Turkey, its pale, soft wood used for general construction and paper pulp. There is commercial interest in north-west Europe for continuous-cover forestry, given its shade tolerance. About four-fifths of all Christmas trees grown in north-west Europe are this species.