Noble Fir 'Bizarro'

Noble fir 'Bizarro' (Abies procera 'Bizarro') is a dwarf silver-blue hedgehog for the front of a border. The short needles curve upwards to show their pale undersides, so the whole plant gleams with cold silver and holds its own even on a grey day. The shoots are thick, short and point every which way.

It grows very slowly, reaching only 1-1.5 m in height and as much across in 10-20 years. This is a plant for a rock garden, the foot of a large boulder or a conifer collection - anywhere its shape can be seen at close range. Among firs it is a cultivar for looking at, not for lining an avenue.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The name "Bizarro" is not just for show: the branches spread every which way with no clear leader, so each plant grows up crooked in its own fashion.
• Dimensions: Over 10-20 years it forms a plant 1-1.5 m tall and just as wide.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -29 °C (USDA zone 5).
• Light: It needs a fully sunny position; it does equally well in a sheltered corner and on an open, windswept site.
• Soil: It takes readily to deep, slightly acidic or neutral soil - clay, loam or sand - as long as it drains well.
• Watering: Keep the soil moist: the plant loves freshness, and the one thing it will not put up with is standing water.
• Care: No pruning is needed - just remove damaged branches in winter or early spring; watch for adelgids, aphids and honey fungus.
• Landscape use: A specimen for a rock garden or a conifer collection - somewhere its form can be seen close up.