Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) Login         


        Description
  • These huge conifer trees can exceed 200 feet and live over 500 years.
  • Their needles are short and grow in all directions.
  • Cones have distinctive "mouse-tails" between the scales.
  • Douglas Fir is common in the Northern California coastal ranges and Sierras.
  • CA native.
  • AKA Douglas Spruce, False Hemlock, Red Fir, Oregon Pine
  • Pine Family (Pinaceae)



Needles are about 1" long and grow in all directions.



The cone has "mouse tails" coming from under each scale.



Trunks grow straight and tall. Branches stick out like ladder rungs.

   Photo Gallery (37 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

In favorable conditions, Douglas Fir can grow over 200 feet tall and live for over 500 years. It does best with plenty of water and well-draining s ...

Needles grow in all directions around the twig and are about an inch long. Each needle lives for roughly eight years before browning and dropping, ...

Notice the pale lines on the underside of the needles. These are made up of stomata, tiny pores that allow the plant to exchange gases with the atmos ...

As you can see in the picture, Douglas-fir needles attach to the twig by a small, lopsided, oval peg. This differs from true firs, whose needles s ...

Pointed buds have overlapping scales and grow about ¼ to ½ inch long. These long, slender buds contain next spring’s new shoots and foliage. Shorte ...

In the spring, male pollen cones emerge, up to ½ inch long. They're packed with orange-red sacs, each filled with developing pollen. After several ...