Korean fir is fairly common in the gardens of southern Finland. Its stiff needles give a “hedgehog” impression, while the upward-curving branches of the crown give the tree a distinctly oriental look. Attractive violet-blue cones decorate the tree when still under 2m (6 ft.) in height. Native to South Korea, it is found on the upper slopes of individual mountains in small isolated stands, in total on only a few square kilometres. This species is listed as Endangered in the wild.
The older specimens at Mustila have been raised from seed from Mt. Jiri in South Korea. They represent the larger form of the species, which is also faster-growing and hardier than the perhaps better-known small form. Most of the trees seen in Finnish gardens are of this latter form, imported as plants. Seedlings of the smaller form have also been planted at Mustila since the turn of the millennium.
