It is an evergreen coniferous tree growing to 30 m (100 ft) tall and 1 m (3 ft) in trunk diameter with a narrowly conical crown of horizontal spreading branches.

The leaves ("needles") are flattened, 2–4 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) long and 1.5–2.5 mm (1⁄16–3⁄32 in) thick, spread at right angles from the shoot, and end in a point.

Unlike in silver fir, the leaves here are sharp and prickly, without any indentation at the top.

[3] They are bright green above and whitish-green below with 2 whitish strips, each of which is formed by 7–10 wax-covered stomatal bands.

The shoots are glabrous, shiny yellow-gray when young and turning gray-brown.