American Sycamore
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) - The Douglas-fir is not a true fir at all but a “pseudotsuga” or “false hemlock”. It was named after the Scottish botanist, David Douglas, who was sent by the Royal Horticultural Society to study the tree in the 19th century. This Oregon state tree is highly valued for its wood. This dense wood is exceptionally hard, stiff and durable. It is straight grained and is widely used in construction, laminated timbers, plywood and high grade veneer, interior trim, cabinet work, pallets, boxes, ladders, and flooring. It is said to be stronger than concrete.

The 1 – 1.5” soft needles are flat with a pointed tip and dark green or blue green in color. They have a sweet fragrance when crushed. The cones are 2 – 5 inches long, turning from green to gray as they mature. The cones do not dissipate to spread seed as do true firs. The cones open in late summer to disperse seeds and will continue to hang on the trees through the fall. Many animals eat the seeds, including squirrels, chipmunks, mice, winter wrens, and crossbills. Bears often scrape off the bark on young trees and eat the sap layer beneath. The bark of the Douglas-fir is smooth gray-brown with gummy resin-filled blisters when young becoming very thick with age and deeply grooved, with reddish-brown ridges.

The Douglas-fir is a large tree, reaching heights of 60 to 250 feet. It grows under a wide variety of environments from extremely dry, low elevation sites to moist sites in central California, western Oregon and Washington, parts of the Rockies and extending north to Alaska. Under natural conditions, Douglas-fir has established after fires on wetter sites. The trees can live for a thousand years, largely due to its very thick bark that allows them to survive moderate fires. Thus many ancient old-growth forests contain large Douglas-fir that represent the legacy of fires that occurred many centuries ago.

The Douglas-fir has been the major Christmas tree species used in the Pacific Northwest since the 1920’s. During the following 40 years, nearly all the trees were harvested from forest lands. Since the 1950’s, the transformation from growing trees in the wild to culturing them on plantations has been dramatic. Today, few trees come from forest lands. Nationally, it remains one of the most popular Christmas tree species. It is shipped to the majority of the states and is also exported to the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and some Asian markets. Plantation trees are normally sheared and will produce a crop within 7 to over 10 years depending upon the site and growing area.
 

Summary

Foilage: Evergreen needles
Height: 60 to 250 feet
Spread: 15 to 25 feet
Cones: Unusual cone with forked, snake-tongue-like bracts extending from each scale
Zone: 4 to 6
Light: Full sun to partial sun
Soil Type: Grows best in moist, well-drained soil. Does not do well in heavy, wet clay soil.