Silver in the garden is something special.  In our society it’s gold that wins first place, but in the world of gardens I think silver takes the prize.  This Korean Fir, like others, has needles with silvery undersides.  However, unlike other firs, the needles on this tree turn upward, showing off the soft, glistening foliage and giving it the appearance that it’s been dusted with snow.  Silberlocke has beautiful color, but another reward is that this slow growing tree only reaches 12-15 feet tall, very handy in the home garden.  Slow growing refers to plants that grow less than 12 inches a year.  Sometimes called Horstman’s fir, it was named after Gunter Horstmann who discovered it in Germany.  Grows in zones 5-8 and performs best in full sun.  The upright cones are steely blue and add yet another dimension to this tree.  Try an I-Spy game in your neighborhood.  Have you seen any Silberlocke Korean Firs lately?