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Pseudotsuga menziesii

Douglas fir

At a Glance: Large coniferous tree with thick, fluted bark.

Height: Up to 300 feet (90 meters).
Growth Form: Tree.
Stems: Very thick bark with deep cracks when mature, helping the tree withstand forest fires.
Leaves: Needles 2-3 cm (0.8-1 in) long with pointed tips, 1 groove on upper surface, 2 white rows of stomata on lower surface, spirally arranged, flat scar on twig upon falling; buds sharp-pointed; color: yellowish green.
Flowers: Pollen cones reddish-brown, small.
Flowering Period: none.
Fruits: Young seed cones hanging, oval, 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long, green when young, turning reddish-brown to grey; scales papery; bracts prominently 3-forked, extend beyond scales.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

Berries

Seeds

Nectar for hummingbirds

Nectar for butterflies

Host for insect larvae

Thickets and shelter

Thorny or protective cover

Birds: Birds that eat the seeds include grouse, crosbills, siskins, and many others. Chickadees, nuthatches, brown creepers, and woodpeckers find insects in the trunk, branches, and twigs. Cavity-nesting birds and other wildlife, including flying squirrels, nest and roost in cavities in mature trees.
Insects: Foliage is eaten by pine white butterfly larvae, silver-spotted tiger moth larvae, and numerous other moths.
Mammals: Squirrels and chipmunks eat the seeds. The foliage and twigs are browsed by beavers, porcupines, deer, and elk.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: The wood and bark was used as fuel by most coastal groups. The wood was used to make spear handles, harpoon shafts, spoons, dip-net poles, harpoon barbs, fire tongs, salmon weirs, caskets and halibut and cod hooks. The pitch was used to sealjoints on implements such as harpoon heads, gaffs and fishhooks, and for caulking canoes and water vessels. The Nuxalk, Quinault and others used the pitchy heartwood for torches. Wood is used in many types of construction. Commonly used as a Christmas tree.
Medicinal Uses: Pitch was used to make a medicinal salve for wounds and irritations. The bark of the young root is boiled by the Swinomish and babies are washed in it. The bud tips are picked by them and chewed for sore throats and mouth sores.
Food Uses: The Comox prepared dogfish by stuffing it with rotten, powdered Douglas fir and placing it in a pit lined with the same material.
Name Info: Menziesii refers to Dr. Archibald Menzies who first described the species. The common name is from botanist David Douglas. Pseudotsuga means false hemlock. The tree is actually not a fir.
Interesting Facts: The tree can live for over a thousand years. It only appeared in our region 7,000 years ago.

Suggested References

Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 101.
Brockman, F.C. 1968. A Guide to Field Identification: Trees of North America. Western Publishing Company. Page .
Gunther, E. 1973. 2nd ed. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press. Page 19.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 120.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 63.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 60.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 243.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 70.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 32.
Turner, N.AJ. 1975. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians: part 1, Coastal Peoples. British Columbia Provincial Museum. Page 95.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.