There are about 40 species of fir in the world. They occur in Europe, Asia and North America. In the forests of Russia there are 8 species of fir.
The firs that grow in the Northern and European parts of Russia are commonly 20 m to 50 m high. They have straight trunks up to 1 m in diameter.
The fir grows slowly during 10-15 years, then it grows faster. When it is 100-120 years old it again begins to grow slowly. It can reach the age of 300 years. Its wood is white, light and soft.
Especially beautiful is the species of fir that grows in the Caucasus. It grows in the mountains at the height of 1,500 meters or more. Some trees reach the age of 500 years. One big tree can yield up to 45 cubic meters of wood.
There are a few forest nurseries (plantations) in that region. Tree plantations produce 22 million seedlings (саженцы) of valuable species each year.