A Sad Reality…..

For me, the sad reality was confirming that indeed, this majestic Abies concolor is simply too large for the limited space I have available for a Christmas tree! It must be close to 2.5m in height and almost as wide. A stunning apparition in a world of light, mid and dark green trees that flood the market at this time of year. This one stood head and shoulders ahead of the crowd…… even if upon first enwrapping it, I found myself less than enamored! Like any quality, rare and unusual botanical wonder, sometimes it takes time to ‘grow’ on its unsuspecting audience!

I am more determined than ever to grow Abies concolor on the property next year! Both Lost Horizons and Whistling Gardens offer the mesmerizing A.c ‘Blue Cloak’ in their Spring catalogues, so I will have me one!

A soft needled tree with a bluish-gray stately pyramidal growth habit, combined with branching that is distinctly horizontal practically guarantees that it would be a Christmas tree specimen unlike any other. Its 2-3” silvery blue grey needles that extend at nearly right angles from all sides of the branch attribute to its fullness, leading unsuspecting admirers to confuse it with Pinus sylvestris, but make no mistake! Imagine one of these majestic beauties positioned front and centre in a room where the natural light of nearby windows would add additional luminescence to its already unique shivery blue grayness! A couple of strands of clear lights woven down the length of its trunk and nothing more! No distractions. Ahhhh…….

If by chance you are reading this and are equally as smitten as I, and, you live in or around Fergus, Ontario – plan a visit to LittleTree Garden Market, where I’m confident that I’ve got a couple of perfect specimens hanging around, just waiting for the perfectly proportioned room to adorn over the holiday season!