A Blue-Needled Selection of Our Native Balsam Fir

Tyler Blue Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea 'Tyler Blue') brings unusually strong blue-silver color to the soft, fragrant needles of native balsam fir. It keeps the tidy, symmetrical pyramid form balsam is loved for - around 30-45 feet tall in time - while standing out with its frosty blue cast. A refined, fragrant specimen for cooler, moist Minnesota sites.

Tyler Blue Balsam Fir Plant Details

Tyler Blue Balsam Fir Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Fragrant Blue Native Specimen

Tyler Blue is a blue-needled selection of balsam fir, Minnesota's own native fir, and it carries the unmistakable balsam Christmas-tree fragrance along with a strong blue-silver color. As a 30-45 foot specimen it makes a beautiful, scented focal point in a Twin Cities yard - plant it where you pass close enough to catch the fragrance, like an entry bed in Edina or Wayzata.

Refined Native Screen

Its dense, narrow-pyramidal form makes it an excellent choice for a tall, refined evergreen screen that also supports native wildlife. Space the trees 12-15 feet apart in a row for privacy and a windbreak in Plymouth or Maple Grove, with blue color and balsam scent a plain spruce screen cannot offer.

Shade-Tolerant Native for Cool, Moist Sites

Unlike most blue conifers, balsam fir tolerates part shade and actually prefers cool, moist soil - so it shines on a north or east side, near a rain garden, or along the edge of a wooded lot in Minneapolis or St. Paul where hot, dry-loving conifers struggle.

Best Time to Plant Tyler Blue Balsam Fir in Minnesota

As an evergreen, Tyler Blue establishes best when planted in late summer to early fall - late August through mid September is the ideal Twin Cities window, giving roots time to settle before the ground freezes and reducing winter desiccation. Spring (late April through May, after the ground thaws) is the strong second choice. Avoid midsummer planting, and never plant after mid-October or before the ground thaws.

How to Plant Tyler Blue Balsam Fir

1. Dig the hole two to three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper - in heavy clay, go wider still and set the top of the root ball slightly above grade.
2. Check for clay hardpan: if water pools in the bottom of the hole, break through the compacted layer or mound-plant. Balsam fir likes moisture but still needs the site to drain.
3. Backfill with the native soil mixed with 20-30% compost; the extra organic matter helps hold the cool, even moisture this fir prefers.
4. Give a specimen room - 12-15 feet from buildings - or space screen trees 12-15 feet apart. A cooler north or east exposure suits it best.
5. Build a 3-4 inch watering basin around the root zone, then flatten it before winter to prevent ice damage.
6. Mulch with 2-3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips to keep the roots cool and moist, kept a couple of inches back from the trunk. Do not use gravel mulch.

Watering Tyler Blue Balsam Fir in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

• Weeks 1-2: water deeply every 1-2 days, soaking the root ball slowly.
• Month 1-2: water every 3-4 days.
• Month 3 onward: water every 5-7 days, keeping the soil consistently moist - balsam fir does not like to dry out the way pines do.
• Stop watering 2-3 weeks before the ground freezes (late October in the metro). A single deep soak in early December helps if fall was dry, since evergreens lose moisture all winter.

After Year One

• Water during dry spells - balsam fir prefers steady moisture and is less drought-tolerant than pines, so do not let it bake out in a hot summer.
• A layer of mulch and a cooler exposure go a long way toward keeping it happy with less watering.

Will Tyler Blue Balsam Fir survive a Minnesota winter?

Absolutely. It is hardy to roughly -40F (USDA zone 3), and as a selection of our native balsam fir it is perfectly at home in the Twin Cities climate.

Is Tyler Blue Balsam Fir native to Minnesota?

Yes. It is a blue-needled form of balsam fir (Abies balsamea), which is native across Minnesota, so it brings genuine native and wildlife value along with its ornamental blue color.

Does it really smell like a Christmas tree?

It does. Balsam fir is the classic Christmas-tree fragrance, and brushing the soft needles releases that scent - one of the best reasons to plant it where you will walk past it often.

Is Tyler Blue Balsam Fir deer-resistant?

Yes - more so than many conifers. Deer generally avoid firs, browsing them far less than arborvitae or yew, which makes it a reliable choice in high-pressure western suburbs like Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Eden Prairie.

You May Also Like

• White Fir (Concolor Fir) - a tough, soft-needled fir with blue-green color and great adaptability.
• Candicans White Fir - among the bluest of all firs, an intense silver-blue specimen tree.
• Black Spruce - another Minnesota native that thrives in cool, moist, and even wet sites.
• Blue Select White Fir - a large, richly blue fir for specimens and screens.

How Many Tyler Blue Balsam Firs Do I Need?

For a privacy screen or windbreak, space Tyler Blue 12–15 feet on center (about 13 ft average):

For a single specimen, allow 12–15 feet of clearance from buildings so the 15–20 ft crown can fill out evenly.

Tyler Blue Balsam Fir Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Fresh new growth emerges soft and bright silver-blue against the older needles — the bluest, most luminous moment of the year.
• Summer: A dense, symmetrical blue-silver pyramid; brushing past releases the classic balsam fragrance.
• Fall: Color holds steady while deciduous trees turn — the blue cast reads even stronger against golden maples and oaks.
• Winter: Full evergreen presence, snow-catching layered branches, and that north-woods scent on mild days; hardy to -40°F with no protection needed.

At a Glance

✔ Minnesota Native   ✔ Deer-Resistant   ✔ Shade-Tolerant   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• White Fir (Concolor Fir) — a more drought-tolerant fir to anchor the sunnier, drier end of the same planting.
• Candicans White Fir — the most intensely silver fir; striking planted near Tyler Blue's softer blue.
• Black Spruce — a fellow Minnesota native for the coolest, wettest corner of the lot.
• Blue Select White Fir — a richly blue concolor selection for varying a blue-conifer screen.

Is Tyler Blue Balsam Fir Right for Your Yard?

Choose Tyler Blue if you have a cool, moist site — a north or east exposure, decent soil, full sun to part shade — and want a fragrant, deer-resistant native evergreen with real blue color. It's not a fit for hot, dry, exposed sites or boulevard strips with road salt spray; if your spot bakes in August, plant a concolor fir or juniper instead.