Help with ID on collected tree

[Josh88]

I collected this little tree this past September thinking it was a subalpine fir. As I’ve looked at it over the past few months it has much more yellow foliage and it’s buds look different than my other firs. I was thinking perhaps mountain hemlock, but again, it doesn’t look like my others. Same with my spruce. The first pic shows foliage, cones, and buds if you zoom in to the tips. Second pic shows the trunk. Any input is much appreciated.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Cones hang down for spruce, Douglas fir, and pines. For fir, cones are on the upper side of the branch and point to the sky.

I need to hit the books but the cones, the teeth, spines and shape of the "shingles" of the cones are diagnostic to species level. If you can find a botanic key, you can nail it down. My guess would be Douglas fir.

 

[Josh88]

This looks like a good guess Leo. The cones and buds do look a lot like Doug Fir. The foliage is still more yellow than I’ve seen, but that may change as the tree gets healthy I guess. It was growing in a tiny rock pocket in a lava field, and I imagine it was lacking resources since it’s developing some bark and is only about a foot tall.

 

[Muchas_Plantas]

Guessing by the foliage and cones id say a spruce... I spend a lot of time with firs and they tend to have thinner, flatter needles and less prevelant cones. I could be wrong however

 

[Arcto]

Cone.. Doug Fir.

 

[Muchas_Plantas]

Cone.. Doug Fir.

Yes you are correct

 

[parhamr]

100% Douglas-fir. No other tree has the three-prong fork sticking out of the cones.

The bark is also right. I haven’t seen Abies lasiocarpa produce such significant pustules of sap.

Cones of Tsuga mertensia are much more slender.

The buds are also a match (dark, ridged, and pointed). Subalpine fir have blunted, protective plates on the tips of their light colored buds and Hemlock buds are a warm tan color and small.

 

[Forsoothe!]

'Chief Joseph' Lodgepole?

 

[Josh88]

'Chief Joseph' Lodgepole?

Definitely not a pine put it has the same color foliage as the Chief Joseph pine for sure. That’s a beautiful tree as well. I hope this retains the yellow color as it’s quite unique I think for a Doug Fir.

 

[Josh88]

100% Douglas-fir. No other tree has the three-prong fork sticking out of the cones.

The bark is also right. I haven’t seen Abies lasiocarpa produce such significant pustules of sap.

Cones of Tsuga mertensia are much more slender.

The buds are also a match (dark, ridged, and pointed). Subalpine fir have blunted, protective plates on the tips of their light colored buds and Hemlock buds are a warm tan color and small.

That covers it sure enough. Have you ever come across one with such yellow foliage?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Cone.. Doug Fir.

For sure. Great trunk, relatively old to grow cones. Yellow foliage after green foliage indicates unhealthy condition/not desirable. Should clear up with added complete fertilizer.

 

[Forsoothe!]

For sure. Great trunk, relatively old to grow cones. Yellow foliage after green foliage indicates unhealthy condition/not desirable. Should clear up with added complete fertilizer.

That's our Grandfathers' talking: when you find a deviant, excise it. Now, sharp gardeners clear the decks and guard the new variant with their wallet. That's why we can buy all sorts of variegated, contorted, dwarf, columnar, triploid and tetraploid sports and chance hybrids. My yard is full of these special critters, paid for in full. I say guard this critter with your life and hope it isn't just sick.

 

[parhamr]

That covers it sure enough. Have you ever come across one with such yellow foliage?

I’ve never seen foliage so yellow! This is probably just a nutrient deficiency (nitrogen, calcium, or magnesium???). I have some with deep green foliage from heavy fertilizing and some with pale green foliage from being nearly unfertilized.