Lateral buds of Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill, are initiated on shoots within the previous season's vegetative terminal and subterminal buds about 1 week before the latter burst. Initiation coincides with megasporangiate-bud burst. Prophyll primordia form 1 week after bud initiation and cataphyll production continues throughout the shoot-elongation phase. Some lateral buds cease development during, or at the end of, the cataphyll-formation period and become latent. Most lateral buds in the megasporangiate zone of the crown occur on the upper sides of the shoots and may differentiate into megasporangiate or vegetative buds: those in the microsporangiate zone occur largely on the lower sides of the shoots and normally differentiate into microsporangiate buds. Bracts are initiated in megasporangiate buds from late July to October, and during September, ovuliferous scales form at the bases of most bracts. No differentiation is evident within the ovuliferous scales by the end of October. Needles are initiated in vegetative buds from late July to October. In microsporangiate buds microsporophylls form from late July through August. The microsporangia contain sporogenous tissue by early September and angular archesporial cells by October.