Abies veitchii Lindl. Veitch's Silver Fir
Native to central Japan, planted for ornament in gardens, tolerant to town conditions. Growth is quite fast, even in first few years, but trees tend to be short lived. Grows to 22m (75ft). Flowers appear in April. Females develop from 2-3cm (lin) into blue-purple cones 6-8cm (2½-3in) and which ripen to brown in October. Foliage is similar to A. nordmanniana but is much softer. Needles are notched at the tip, glossy green above with bands of silver beneath. Bark is dark grey with horizontal lines, and sometimes has white patches. Z3.