Pseudotsuga menziesii ssp. Menziesii, also known as Douglas Fir, is a large tree up to 80 m tall with a pyramidal crown when young and a stiff leader. The branches are openly arranged to slightly droopy with sharply pointed buds at the ends. The bark of the trunk is fluted, dark brown in color and thick enough that it helps the tree to survive moderate surface fires. The yellow-green spirally arranged leaves (needles) are 2-3 cm long, flat, pointed at the end and have a single groove on the upper surface and two white bands of stomata on the lower surface. When the needles fall from the tree they leave a flat scar on the twig.
There are both male and female cones on a Douglas Fir tree. The male cones produce the pollen and are comparatively small and reddish brown in color, while the female cone is 5-10 cm long, oval shaped and pendant. At flowering, the female cone is green eventually maturing to brown or greyish with prominenet 3-forked bracts that extend beyond the scales.
Generally Douglas Fir trees are found in a range of habitats: from dry, low elevation sites to moist, montane sites. Stands of these trees typically become established in wetter sites but are also a common colonizer on areas affected by fires and can be thought of as a legacy of a fire that once swept the area. The species can live up the 1000 years.
The wood from this tree was used as an excellent source of fuel but it tends to throw sparks as well as leaves slivers behind. Other uses of the wood include: spear handles, harpoon shafts, spoons, dip net poles, harpoon barbs, fire tongs, salmon weirs, caskets, halibut and cod hooks. The pitch was used to seal joints and as a medicinal salve for wounds and skin irritations. Torches were made from pitchy heartwood.
Pojar, J. and A. McKinnon (1994) Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing, Washington, Canada.