So there has been considerable debate behind this cultivar and the small amount of research I have done has me pretty confident that at least this cultivar is NOT chensiensis.

Bought originally from Stanley and Sons as Abies amabalis 'Spreading Star', which it clearly is not. The needles closely resemble the small amount of photos we do have of Abies chinsiensis, long, somewhat pointy, dark green needles with a pale-white stomatal band underneath.

Stanley and Sons described it as a low spreading, dense, prostrate plant. Needles dark green to blue with a white somata beneath. In ten years 3 X 1m.

That would indeed be a pretty LARGE specimen(11 feet wide by three feet+ tall).

My specimen in part-shade shows all of the above habit with similar needles though I would say you only see blue hues at rare times when the light is strong but filtered and you *want* to see blue. The eye often sees what it wants to see.

So why did I list it as Abies chinsiensis 'Prostrata Glauca'? Well, I had a specimen of Abies amabalis 'Spreading Star' named, you guessed it, Abies chinsiensis 'Prostrata Glauca'. To me the tags were probably swapped.

What this plant DOES look more like is Abies alba 'Pendula' that isn't showing upright habit yet. It has the same needle size, color, sharpness and underline white stomata. It shows similar growth habit as well, large and lanky branches without an upright leader...

Maybe these photos will help confirm or deny my own specimen as true Abies chensiensis:

2010

Some closeups.

To me, it's Abies alba 'Pendula', but the needles DO look a lot like Chensiensis as well. I'd love some expert opinions or even more so, someone who has this cultivar and it looks UNIQUE to post photos... Thanks!

-Will