Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. Alpine Fir Found on mountain tops in Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta south to Washington and Oregon. Has never done well in cultivation but occasionally grown for ornament in northern parts of America and in collections elsewhere. May reach 40m (130ft) in native environment. Male flowers shed pollen in April, females develop into dark purple cones ripening to brown 15cm (6in) which break up in October. Foliage is waxy, blue-green with shorter needles on upper branches and when crushed gives off a strong balsam smell. Z5.