Silver fir (Abies alba) is a European conifer in the pine family. It is also commonly referred to in the vernacular as silver fir or silver fir.
Occurrence and cultivation of silver fir
The silver fir forms three to five centimeters long female flower cones. These are pale green in color and are much more common than the male flower cones. The silver fir can grow up to fifty meters tall. The diameter of the tree trunk is between two and four meters. The young silver firs have a light gray and smooth bark. From a tree age of about forty years, a whitish bark forms. The silver fir owes its name to this white bark. The inner bark, on the other hand, is reddish-brown. The wood of the silver fir is very light and not very resistant. This is certainly one of the reasons why the population of silver fir has declined sharply in the last 100 to 200 years. Normally, a silver fir can live 500 to 600 years. However, introduced pests, biting damage from deer and red deer, and the logging industry are threatening the old fir species. The crown of fir trees varies greatly. Young trees often have a very pointed crown, while older trees show a characteristic stork’s nest crown. The trunk usually grows very straight. From it horizontally go off the branches. The fir needles are attached to the branches. They are rather short stalked and leathery to the touch. They grow around three centimeters long and about three millimeters wide. Size and shape vary depending on the location of the needles. Needles that grow in the light are shorter and narrower than needles that grow in the shade. The silver fir forms female flower cones three to five centimeters long. These are pale green in color and are much more common than the male flower cones. The main distribution area of the tree is found in Central and Southern Europe. The silver fir prefers temperate climate and a location in high mountains. However, in cooler areas it can also be found in the lowlands.
Effect and application
For medicinal purposes, especially the fir needles and the tips of the branches of silver fir are used. By steam distillation, an essential oil is obtained from these parts of the plant. The oil is clear in color and has a woody, balsamic, warm and fresh scent. 80 to 90 percent of silver fir essential oil consists of monoterpenes. This is typical of essential oils derived from conifers. Limonene and alpha-pinene dominate in silver fir. Four to nine percent of the oil consists of esters and, in particular, bornyl acetate. Sesquiterpenes and monoterpenols are present in traces. Unlike the other coniferous oils, silver fir oil has a very high pinene content. The pinene is responsible for the fresh and clear scent of the oil. On a physical level, silver fir essential oil has a strong antiviral and antibacterial effect. It stimulates the immune system and also has an anti-inflammatory effect. Due to its circulation-promoting effect, it also warms the skin and tissues. On a mental level, the essential oil has a mood-lifting, strengthening and stabilizing effect. It makes the mind and psyche free and clear. A proven application area of the oil are colds. Here it can be used for inhalations or rubs. In combination with citrus oils, it is also excellent for room air disinfection. Studies show that the number of germs in rooms can be drastically reduced by disinfecting with silver fir and citrus oils. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties can be used in the treatment of arthritis or osteoarthritis. In aromatherapy, silver fir essential oil is considered one of the most important oils for mental treatment. It is popularly used in convalescence, poor concentration and mental exhaustion. But not only the essential oil can be used medicinally. A tea can also be prepared from the needles and young tips. The decoction can also be used in bath water for colds or bladder infections. Needles and fir tips can also be made into a syrup. For this purpose, the young shoots of silver fir are placed in canning jars. Water, sugar and lemon slices are added. The mixture is boiled in the jars. Then the syrup must be well closed and left in the sun for about two weeks. Then it can be strained and stored in bottles. The silver fir syrup has an expectorant and expectorant effect.Therefore, it is preferably used for colds. The young fir tips for this syrup should be collected in May. However, the fir needles can be collected and processed throughout the year.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Silver fir has been used medicinally for centuries. It was even first mentioned by Dioscorides in the first century. For the Celts and Germanic tribes, it was a magical tree and was considered a symbol of power, strength and hope. Hippocrates and Hildegard von Bingen also used the healing ingredients of silver fir. The herbalist Sebastian Kneipp recommended silver fir baths for rheumatic complaints. He also used the tea at that time to treat colds. Due to its high vitamin C content, a potion made from fir tips was considered a remedy for scurvy. Although the silver fir has not yet received a monograph from Commission E, it is also used in traditional medicine. Here, preparations made from silver fir are used mainly for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Extracts from silver fir are also contained in many muscle-relaxing baths. To honor the healing effects of silver fir and to draw attention to its endangered population, silver fir was named Tree of the Year in 2004.
