As noted previously, the major purpose of this research was to study the variation in characteristics of trees from different stands and seed sources of balsam fir from the four locations in West Virginia where it occurs naturally. The two North Carolina/Fraser fir stand collections were included in the study to provide a reference for comparison to a widely accepted and planted variety/species. Since the North Carolina seed sources are stand collections rather than from individual trees (half-sib families) and also come from only one part (Roan Mountain) of the variety/species range, caution should be exercised in making broad conclusions about the relative performance of trees of var. phanerolepis from West Virginia and those of var. fraseri.
Results of measurements and subjective evaluations of different characteristics of trees made in this study emphasize the large variation associated with trees of balsam fir from the different locations in West Virginia, as well as the variation related to differences between and within individual half-sib families.
Trees of Stone Coal Run half-sib families were highest-ranked for nine of the 14 traits evaluated, including those for total height, taper, branch angle, tree shape and density, the color of the upper surfaces of needles, and overall color (Table 4). In addition, for many of those traits, trees of several other families from that area were rated among the top one-third included in the study (Table 3). Conversely, for six of the 14 traits measured - taper, branch angle, shape, density, color of lower needle surfaces, and overall color - trees of half-sib families from Canaan Valley-Cortland Road were lowest-rated of the West Virginia families, and at least half from that area were among the one-third that were lowest-rated for eight of the 14 traits (Table 3).
Although none of the Blister Swamp families were top-ranked for any of the traits measured, half or more of the families from that area were among the top one-third in a number of characteristics of importance for Christmas trees, including height growth, taper, branch angle, shape, density, lower-surface needle color, and bud break. Individual families from that area were lowest-ranked for one particularly important characteristic, upper-surface needle color, with six of 10 trees from that area ranked in the bottom one-third of families and seven of 10 trees ranked in the lowest group for overall color (Tables 3, 4).
Trees of the Blister Run families were most outstanding for lower needle-surface color, with the top-ranked of the West Virginia families for that characteristic coming from that area and eight of 10 families in the highest-rated one-third; the top-ranked family for lateness in bud break also came from that area, and six of 10 were among the highest-ranked. Conversely, none of the Blister Run half-sib families were in the bottom one-third of the rankings for that trait (Tables 3, 4).
With the exception of one of the ratings for bud break, none of the half-sib families from Canaan Valley-State Park were top-rated for the different tree characteristics. Five of 10 families from that area were among the top one-third of seed sources for lateness of bud break, while four or more of the 10 sources were ranked in the bottom one-third group for taper, branch angle, shape, density, top and bottom needle color, overall tree color, and bud break for the May 29 rating (Tables 3, 4).
One characteristic not discussed in the previous summary is needle length of trees. Whether longer or shorter needles would be preferable is probably a matter of individual Christmas-tree grower and/or buyer perception. Average needle lengths of the two North Carolina seed sources were considerably shorter than those of the West Virginia origins, while variation in average lengths of those of the West Virginia sources from different areas was generally minimal.
Based on the previous results and discussions, it appears that major progress can be made in improving the characteristics of and reducing the variation in trees of the West Virginia origins of balsam fir used for Christmas trees. Trees of Stone Coal Run half-sib families were particularly outstanding in a number of characteristics of interest, while those of some of the families from the Blister Swamp source were excellent in two very important characteristics, form and density. Use of seed collected from those areas (or from trees for which those areas were the original source) could provide considerable improvement. Additionally, there were individual families from other areas that rated highly in certain traits. For example, trees from Blister Run rated highly for needle colors and bud break.
As noted in the introductory sections, A. balsamea var. phanerolepis is distinguished from var. balsamea primarily on the basis of differences in the relative lengths of the scales and bracts of cones of trees.
Results of studies reported here refer specifically to the West Virginia origins of balsam fir, and the results should not be interpreted as applicable to sources from other areas that may be identified as var. phanerolepis because other such sources were not included in the research.