It is named after the Scottish botanist and plant-hunter George Forrest (1873–1932), who discovered it for western science in Yunnan province.

Its common names include Forrest's fir.

[2] Varieties include:[1] This species grows in the mountains of southwestern China, sometimes at high altitudes.

At lower elevations it grows in mixed forests with species such as Picea likiangensis, Larix potaninii, Tsuga dumosa, and Betula albosinensis.

It is sometimes a dominant member of the canopy in rhododendron woodlands.