Abies firma (Japanese fir)

Japanese name: モミ （樅）
Scientific name: Abies firma

[Overview]
An evergreen coniferous tree that grows on dry mountain ridges and similar places.
The trunk is erect and can reach 35–40 m in height and 1.5–1.8 m in diameter.
The branches ascend obliquely, giving the tree a conical shape.
The bark is gray and peels off in scales.
Young branches are pale yellowish green and covered with short hairs.
The leaves are linear, 15–30 mm long and 2–3 mm wide; on young trees the tips are forked and sharply pointed.
The upper surface of the leaf is glossy, and the underside has two grayish white stomatal lines.
There are male and female flowers; the male flowers are borne singly, hanging downward, in the leaf axils of the previous year's branches, with many stamens gathered in a cylindrical shape.
The female flowers are also borne singly, facing upward, in the leaf axils of the previous year's branches.
The fruit is a grayish green cylindrical cone, 9–13 cm long and 4–5 cm in diameter, standing erect.
The seeds are about 10 mm long, winged, and dispersed by wind in autumn.

[Uses]
The wood is used for carvings, construction, furniture, shipbuilding, drum bodies, tubs and the like.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed; since the seeds are difficult to store, sow them immediately after collecting, or store them so that they do not dry out and sow them in March–April.
It can be planted from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu.
It prefers fertile soil that is sunny and well drained.
When young it is quite shade tolerant, but as it grows it comes to require sunlight.
For plants in the ground, watering is not necessary unless it becomes extremely dry, and if the soil is fertile, fertilizer is not necessary either.
Growth is slow until about 7–8 years, and from around the tenth year it grows larger and takes up space, so a wide area is required.
The roots are deep, and transplanting becomes difficult once it exceeds 2 m in height.
It is sensitive to air pollution, so it is not suited to large cities.
It is also sensitive to clipping, so basically it is not pruned, but when thinning out obstructing branches, cut them at the base.
Pests and diseases include longhorn beetle larvae (teppo-mushi).

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