expression, noun
Japanese fir; momi fir
Refers specifically to the tree species Abies firma, a large evergreen fir native to Japan. The phrase is literally 'momi tree', where もみ is the tree name and の木 means 'tree of'.
See also: もみ
庭にもみの木を植えた。
I planted a momi fir in the garden.
もみの木はクリスマスツリーに使われることもある。
Momi firs are sometimes used as Christmas trees.
もみ is the name of the tree itself (Abies firma), while もみの木 explicitly includes 'tree' and is the more common way to refer to the tree in everyday speech.
The word もみ is of native Japanese origin, referring to the fir tree. The exact derivation is uncertain. The form もみの木 is a compound of もみ + possessive particle の + 木 (tree).