Crystal-bearing cells are rarely encountered in the softwoods and their regular occurrence, e.g., in species of Abies, Picea, Ginkgo, and Pinus, is of considerable diagnostic significance. Thus, this study discusses the distribution and types of crystals in North American Abies species to provide additional information for wood anatomy and identification through light and scanning electron microscopies. Prismatic crystals, elongate crystal s, and styloids are identified, in descending order of frequency, in Abies concolor, A. grandis. and A. magnifica, A. nobilis (=A. procera), A. lasiocarpa, and A. amabilis but not in A. balsamea and A. fraseri. Differently from the other species, A. lasiocarpa shows the tendency of more elongate crystals and styloids than prismatic crystals. A. concolor contains crystal sands, prismatic crystals, elongate crystals, and styloids both in the axial and ray parenchyma cells, whereas the other species show prismatic crystals, elongate crystals, and styloids only in the ray parenchyma cells. Ray parenchyma cells containing crystal sand and axial parenchyma cells having crystal sand, prismatic crystals, elongate crystals, and styloids are probably reported here for the first time in A. concolor. In conclusion, the presence or absence of crystals appears to be the most powerful diagnostic character for separating A. concolor, A. grandis, and A. magnifica from A. nobilis (=A. procera), A. lasiocarpa, A. amabilits, A. balsamea, and A. fraseri.