Abies alba - Sapin commun

Habitat

Exposition

Toutes expositions

Humidité

Humidité moyenne.

Sol

Tous sols. Tolère les sols très argileux.

pH

Non calcaire

Rusticité

Zone 4

Habitat originel

Forests in mountains, 1000 - 1600 metres.

Origine géographique

C. and S. Europe

Comestibilité

• Inner bark - cooked .
• It is dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread [105, 177].

Usages médicinaux

• The buds are antibiotic, antiseptic and balsamic [7].
• The bark is antiseptic and astringent [7].
• It can be harvested as required throughout the year [238].
• The leaves are expectorant and a bronchial sedative [7].
• They are best harvested in the spring and can be dried for later use [238].
• The resin is antiseptic, balsamic, diuretic, eupeptic, expectorant, vasoconstrictor and vulnerary [7].
• Both the leaves and the resin are common ingredients in remedies for colds and coughs, either taken internally or used as an inhalant [238].
• The leaves and/or the resin are used in folk medicine to treat bronchitis, cystitis, leucorrhoea, ulcers and flatulent colic [268].
• The resin is also used externally in bath extracts, rubbing oils etc for treating rheumatic pains and neuralgia [238].
• Oil of Turpentine, which is obtained from the trunk of the tree, is occasionally used instead of the leaves or the resin .
• The oil is also rubefacient and can be applied externally in the treatment of neuralgia [268].

Autres usages

• An oleo-resin is obtained from blister-like swellings in the bark [64, 100].
• It is harvested in the summer and used fresh, dried or distilled for oil [238].
• The resin extracted from it is used in perfumery, medicine and for caulking ships [46, 61, 64, 100].
• It is called 'Strasburg Turpentine' [46].
• Oil of turpentine is an important solvent in the paint industry [238].
• The residue, known as 'rosin oil', is used in making varnishes, lacquers and carbon black (for pigments and ink) [238].
• Resin is tapped from trees about 60 - 80 years old in the spring and used for the distillation of oil [238].
• An essential oil obtained from the leaves is used as a disinfectant and also in medicine and perfumery [46, 61].
• It is a common ingredient in many bath products, giving them their familiar pine scent [7].
• The bark is a source of tannin [7].
• Wood - light, soft, durable, elastic .
• The timber of this tree is especially sought after for its lightness, it is used for construction, furniture, boxes, pulp etc [7, 46, 61, 89, 101].

Culture

• Prefers a good moist but not water-logged soil[1] though it tolerates most soils except infertile sands and peats [11, 81].
• Pousse bien dans les sols très argileux .
• Prefers a slightly acid soil, with a pH down to about 5, and a north-facing slope [200].
• Plants are very shade tolerant and this species has often been used to underplant in forests[11, 81], but growth is slower in dense shade [81].
• Intolerant of atmospheric pollution [1].
• Requires a generous rainfall and a sheltered position [11, 81].
• Intolerant of windy sites [81].
• The silver fir is a very hardy plant when dormant but it comes into growth in April and is then susceptible to damage by late frosts and aphis [185, 238].
• This species is particularly subject to aphis infestation in many parts of the country[11], and is also prone to dieback and rust caused by fungal infections [238].
• Trees are slow growing for the first few years but from the age of around 6 years growth accelerates and height increases of 1 metre a year are not uncommon [185].
• Grows best in moist valleys in Scotland[11] and in S.W .
• England where it often self-sows .
• This species also thrives in E. Anglia [17].
• Another report says that this species is not happy in the hot, dry, Lower Thames Valley, and does not thrive in many low-lying and frosty parts of southern England [11].
• It has been planted as a timber tree in northern and western Europe [50].
• It is also commonly used as a 'Christmas tree' [61, 200].
• This tree is notably resistant to honey fungus [11, 81, 200].
• Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, preferably between 30 and 90cm in height .
• Les arbres trop âgés se porteront mal et ne se développeront pas pendant plusieurs années .
• Cela affecte aussi dramatiquement le dévelopement des racines et la résistance au vent [200].
• Unlike most species of conifers, this tree can be coppiced and will regenerate from the stump [126].
• Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly [200].
• Ils s'hybrident librement avec les autres membres du genre [200].
• The cultivar 'Pendula' used to be widely planted for ornament, shelter and timber but because it is now susceptible to damage by Adelges nordmannianae it is seldom planted .
• Research is going on (1975) to find provenances that are resistant [185].

Propagation

• Seed - sow early February in a greenhouse or outdoors in March [78].
• Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 - 8 weeks [78].
• Stratification is said to produce a more even germination so it is probably best to sow the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn [80, 113].
• The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if it is well stored [113].
• When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots .
• Plantez les à leurs positions définitives à la fin du printemps ou au début de l'été, après les dernières gelées .
• Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it is possible to sow in an outdoor seedbed .
• One report says that it is best to grow the seedlings on in the shade at a density of about 550 plants per square metre[78] whilst another report says that they are best grown on in a sunny position [80].