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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
Pseudotsuga Menziesii commonly known as Douglas Fir. It is a
magnificent, large and important tree of western North America, was discovered
by Archibald Menzies, a Scottish botanist, in 1791 on the west coast of Vancouver
Island. David Douglas another Scottish botanist, sent seeds to England in 1822,
and the tree now ranks as a major species in British forestry, particularly so
far as speed and quantity of growth, and strength of wood are concerned. The
tree is not a true fir: its cones are pendent whereas those of true firs stand
erect.
P. menziesii is medium-size to extremely large evergreen
trees, 20–100 m (70–330 ft) in height.
The young shoots are yellowish-green (some dark pink,
briefly), turning grey as they age. The brown papery buds are shiny, long and
spindle-shaped, and always non-resinous. The needles are soft, disposed on a
flat plane, and are deep green on top, with a groove; underneath they show two
grey bands of stomata on either side of a prominent midrib. They taper towards
the apex, and when pulled away from, the twig they leave a smooth round scar,
not a peg. The soft new pale green needles which appear in June fringe the
edges of all the branches, giving the tree its best appearance.
Both sexes of flowers are found on the same tree. The male
catkins are mostly pendulous and in groups; they are brownish or dull red at
first, turning yellow at pollen time. The female flowers are at first erect,
with soft green scales and long pointed bracts, which are usually crimson or
pink. They hang down when developing into the 5 – 8 cm cones which become
pale-brown, with papery three-pronged bracts peering out from each scale.
Winged seeds fall in mid-autumn.
The bark is at first greyish-black and smooth, with some
blisters holding fragrant resin, but eventually becomes reddish-brown, thick
and corky, deeply ridged and fissured, with orange-brown tints in the cracks.
The sapwood is pale creamy-brown and heartwood pinkish-brown, darkening with
age. The wood is coarse in texture, fairly hard, straight-grained, resinous, strong
and heavy, providing an excellent constructional, flooring, and joinery timber,
as well as one having many ther uses which include fencing, pit-props, paper
pulp, and telegraph poles.
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
Silviclturists appreciate Douglas Fir’s quick growth and
heavy volume, but take care not to plant it on infertile ground or where wind
blow may result. It is only seen at its best on deep well-drained soils in
fairly sheltered situations. A specimen at Powis Castle near Welshpool in Mont-gomeryshire
rises about 180 feet – one of the tallest trees in Britain.
The Colorado or ‘Blue’ Douglas Fir, P. menziesii
glauca Franco, is a smaller and slower growing tree with bluish foliage that
smells of turpentine when crushed. This species is not satisfactory in Europe,
and is planted only as a slow-growing ornamental tree.
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| Douglas Fir young Plants |
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| Leaves of Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii Leaves |
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| Male and Female Flowers of Douglas Fir |
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| Douglas Fir Male Catkin |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir Male and Female Flowers |
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| Douglas Fir Female Cone |
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| Female Cone of Douglas Fir |
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| Mature Female Cone of Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir Female Cone |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir Mature Cone |
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| Male and Female Flowers of Douglas Fir |
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| Bark of Douglas Fir |
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| Log of Douglas Fir |
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| Douglas Fir as Ornamental Plant |
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| Douglas Fir Plants for Christmas Tree |
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| Christmas Tree |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
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| Pseudotsuga Menziesii – Douglas Fir |
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