Fir

fir, (genus Abies), genus of more than 40 species of evergreen trees of the conifer family Pinaceae. Although several other coniferous trees are commonly called firs—e.g., the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga), the hemlock fir (see hemlock), and the joint fir (see Ephedra), true firs are native to North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Several species are useful as a source of timber, and a number are cultivated as ornamentals, including use as Christmas trees.