Douglas Fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas fir is Oregon’s state tree, the most common evergreen in the Pacific Northwest, and arguably the most commercially important tree in the country. This majestic over-story conifer has an upright, pyramidal form with a strong central leader that can tower up to 300 feet, but generally tops out around 100-125 feet in home gardens. It is impressively fast-growing, making it a pioneer species that can transform a disturbed area (post clearcut, wildfire or windfall) into a young forest in under 50 years. Doug fir cones are iconic and have many children’s stories about them. Pacific Northwest kids of all ages can easily identify them by the bracts of its seeds, poking out beyond each scale, that resemble the tail and hind legs of countless mice hiding, half-tucked into the cones. Please note: when growing in a container, Doug fir is often spindly and not very attractive, but once it is planted in the ground, out in the open, it will quickly develop into the