Douglas-fir Fact Sheet
Family:
Pinaceae - Pine family
Latin name:
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Common name:
Douglas-fir, Douglas fir
- Pseudotsuga
menziesii (Douglas-fir), is a member of the Pine family. It is not a true "fir".
This one is located near the top of Frost Hill at the Morton Arboretum.
- The Douglas-fir is one of the most important timber trees in the world.
- It is also grown as a Christmas tree.
- In
one picture I have circled what I believe to be a female
flower. The picture next to it shows male pollen cones.
- The cones of the Pseudotsuga menziesii are 5-9 cm and mature in one season. They
have trident shaped bracts that extend beyond the edges of the scales.
- The seeds have
wings that are less than 25 mm.
- The younger cones have rose colored scales. Notice how
the cones have changed over a two week period.
Douglas-fir isn't true fir. One difference is that cones of true firs are upright on
the branches, but the cones of the Douglas-fir hang down.
- Douglas-fir cones can be found even on the lowest branches of the tree. On "true firs" the pine cones grow upright and
I've mainly seen them near the tops of the trees.
- The three pointed bracts of the cones of the Douglas fir make them different from those
of other trees.
I found this small brown cone on the ground.
- Leaves: flat, 2-4 cm long, taper to a short petiole, two whitish bands on the lower surface
Karren Wcisel © copyright
2008
Send email to Karrenw@aol.com
Please ask for permission before using my photographs. Larger sizes and additional photographs
of the tree are often available.
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