(Amabilis Fir)
Amabilis Fir, also known as Pacific Silver Fir or Lovely Fir. The name Lovely Fir comes from Amadilis which means beauty or lovely. It is found across B.C.’s coastal area except Haida Gwaii. It usually grows above 300 metres on Vancouver Island. The further north you go, the lower in elevation you will find it growing. I have seen it as high as 1500 metres.
The Amabilis fir is a large tree that can reach 50 metres in height and can live more than 500 years in age. It has smooth, pale grey bark with blisters of pitch, which becomes scaly with age. It has a narrow symmetrical crown with branches perpendicular to the stem.
Its needles have blunt ends and are usually notched at the tip. They are dark green with a groove on the upper surface and two silvery bands on the lower surface. The deep purple seed cones are held upright on branches on the top of the tree. They fall apart while still on the tree, leaving a central spike visible into winter. Pollen cones are reddish.
First Nation peoples used Amabilis for medicinal purposes. The Nuxalk People mixed mountain goat tallow with the pitch to treat sore throat. An infusion of bark was used to address stomach problems. The hardened pitch was chewed on like modern gum. Some nations would boil the bark with stinging nettle and bathe with the liquid.