Abies

Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’

Abies lasiocarpa 'Stampede Pass' with tiny new growth
Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’

About Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’: Mike & Cheryl found this cute subalpine fir broom, while picking huckleberries in the Stampede Pass area of the Cascade Mountain range of Washington in August 2018. The Abies lasiocarpa tree was struggling and the only healthy looking part was the fir broom. It was oblong with a dense growth pattern, measuring 16x13x10 inches in dimension. The annual growth on this cultivar is less than 1/2 inch and the needles are tiny and bluish green. We took a few scions as an experiment in the fall of 2018 and they pushed beautifully, and some even had a second push! Since the tree is struggling, we took the broom in November 2019 (not accessible after snowfall), and named it Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’!

Subalpine fir broom 'Stampede Pass'
Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’ broom discovered in August 2018, surrounded by Abies amabilis trees!
Cheryl picking huckleberries in the Stampede Pass area.
Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’ was found while picking huckleberries in August 2018! Fun day!!!
Nice bowl of huckleberries, future huckleberry pie!
Huckleberries! Yum! Huckleberry pie!
Abies lasiocarpa 'Stampede Pass' with purple buds in the spring!
Purple buds, color coordinated to match the huckleberries growing beneath the lasiocarpa tree!

Remarkably, the new buds are shades of purple, similar to the huckleberries, in the patch where it was discovered! Maybe the name ‘Huckleberry’ would have been more fitting!

Mike harvesting Abies lasiocarpa 'Stampede Pass' broom from the struggling subalpine fir tree, November 2019.
Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’ harvest November 2019, measures 16x13x10 inches in dimension!
Tiny Abies lasiocarpa scion with small needles!
Tiny scion, ‘Stampede Pass’ 2018
A single tiny Abies lasiocarpa broom scion pushing with multiple buds!
Starting to push! Spring 2019!
Abies lasiocarpa 'Stampede Pass' looking promising!
‘Stampede Pass’ scion from Autumn 2018, pushing in the Spring, 2019.
Abies lasiocarpa 'Stampede Pass' scion with second push, multiple buds, during the summer of 2019.
‘Stampede Pass’, September 2019, multiple buds, second push!
Subalpine fir new cultivar with purple buds, 'Stampede Pass'
Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’ May 2020, pretty in purple!
Subalpine fir 'Stampede Pass' spring push 2022
Abies lasiocarpa ‘Stampede Pass’ starting spring push, 2022