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Portrait of Douglas fir

Nature · Trees

Douglas fir

Neophyte (introduced 1827) · evergreen conifer to 60 m+ · plantations, estates and Christmas-tree farms

Pseudotsuga menziesii — Pinaceae

A Pacific north-west conifer brought to Britain in 1827 by the plant collector David Douglas, first as a specimen tree on estates and now a major timber crop. Some old planted specimens are the tallest trees in Britain, over 66 m. It is not a true fir, hence the Latin name meaning false hemlock.

How to know it

Whole tree of Douglas fir
Whole tree Richard Avery · CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf of Douglas fir
Leaf RVWithTito · CC BY 2.0
Bark of Douglas fir
Bark Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0

How to spot them

  • ▸Three-pointed, forked bracts sticking out between the cone scales, like the hind legs and tail of a mouse
  • ▸Slender, sharply pointed, reddish-brown buds like those of beech
  • ▸Soft, flat needles spread all round the twig, green with two white lines beneath, smelling sweet of resin when crushed
  • ▸Bark grey-green with resin blisters when young, thick, corky and deeply fissured with age
  • ▸Cones hang down, unlike the upright cones of true firs
  • ▸Look-alike: true firs (Abies) have upright cones and blunt or notched needles; spruce needles are stiff and four-sided. The trident bract is unique.

How to know it

Its cones bear three-pointed bracts between the scales, said to be the tail and hind legs of mice hiding from fire

Douglas fir. A Native American story quoted by the Woodland Trust.

Brought to Britain in 1827 by a Scottish botanist who also gave his name to it

Douglas fir. David Douglas.

Its slender, pointed, red-brown buds look like those of a beech, on a soft-needled evergreen conifer

Douglas fir.

Young trees have resin blisters on the bark that smell sweet, and crushed needles smell of resin

Douglas fir.

The Latin genus name of this conifer means false hemlock, because it is not a true fir

Douglas fir. Pseudotsuga.

Some planted specimens are the tallest trees in Britain, at over 66 metres

Douglas fir (Forest Research).

Its species name honours Archibald Menzies, who found it in 1793

Douglas fir. Pseudotsuga menziesii.

Quick-fire facts

  • •Pseudotsuga menziesii — Pseudotsuga means false hemlock; menziesii honours Archibald Menzies, who discovered it in 1793
  • •Introduced to Britain in 1827 by David Douglas (Woodland Trust); Forest Research's page gives the date as 1872, which appears to be a transposition
  • •Only the coastal ("green") provenance is planted in Britain
  • •Thrives in western Britain where rainfall is higher; prefers deep, fertile, sheltered soils
  • •Some heritage specimens are the tallest trees in Britain, over 66 m (Forest Research)
  • •Timber is of great commercial importance for beams, veneers and flooring; widely grown as a Christmas tree
  • •It regenerates from seed in places, but is not treated as invasive
  • •Woodland Trust: can be vulnerable to various fungal diseases; no notifiable pest specific to it is a current concern

Drill it — 7 cards

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Sources