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Douglas Fir

Researched by Ashton Paladino
Species: Pseudotsuga menziesii
Common name:  Douglas Fir
Family:  Pinaceae (Pine Family)
Clade:  Gymnosperms (non-flowering seed plants)

Coordinates:  39.70928741, -75.11724542

Tree Tag: 868 An icon used to show more information.
A tag using this number is placed near the tree.

 

Native to North America, Douglas fir thrives in cool, moist environments with aerated soils. This tree is shade tolerant and most abundant at elevations between 5,000 and 8,000 ft.

In older trees, the bark is brownish-red with thick ridges and deep furrows, while younger specimens have smooth and gray bark. Wood from Douglas fir is often used as a building material, as it is durable, decay-resistant, and can withstand water exposure. Douglas fir are also fire resistant because their thick, hard bark protects the inner tissues of the trunk. 

Douglas fir needles are about one and a half inches long. They are flat, flexible, and attached individually on a stem. The needles are blue-green and arranged radially. This species is also evergreen, which means that even as cold weather approaches, it keeps its needles.

The trees produce a wide array of secondary compounds, including terpenoids, lignin, phlobaphene, flavonoid pigments, and waxes. Read More

 
Douglas Fir Needles Illustration
An image of the douglas fir needles in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir needles in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir trunk leaking sap in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir trunk in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir trunk leaking sap in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir trunk leaking sap in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir needles in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir needles in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir tree in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir tree in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir tree in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir seeds in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir female cone in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir male cone in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir female cone in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir tree branches in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir male cones on the branch in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir female cone on the branch in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.
An image of the douglas fir female cones on the branch in the Rowan University Arboretum, Glassboro New Jersey.

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Campus Species Map
Student Researcher

Ashton Paladino

Ashton Paladino earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 2023.

Suggested Citation:

Paladino, Ashton. (2022, Dec). Douglas Fir. Rowan University Arboretum. https://arboretum.rowan.edu/trees/douglas-fir/

Questions to Explore

    • How can farming the Douglas Fir impact the local ecology and what can be done to reduce or offset the farming of these trees?
    • How has the logging of Douglas Firs impacted the species that depend on it (e.g., Red Tree Vole)?
    • From a biological perspective, why do Douglas Firs live for so long?
    • How has the Douglas Fir been used medicinally?

    References

    Douglas fir. (n.d.). WSU Clark County Extension PNW Plants. | Link 

    Douglas fir. (n.d.). National Wildlife Federation. | Link

    Douglas fir. (n.d.). Britannica. | Link.

    Douglas fir. (n.d.). Extension Utah State University. | Link.

    Douglas-fir Ecosystem. (2020, November 20). Capital Regional District. | Link.

    Franklin, J. F., et al. (1981). Ecological characteristics of old-growth Douglas-fir forests. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 48 p, 118. | Link. 

    Liu, Q., Luo, L., & Zheng, L. (2018). Lignins: Biosynthesis and biological functions in plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(2), 335. | Link

    Oleson, & Schwartz, D. T. (2015). Extractives in Douglas-fir forestry residue and considerations for biofuel production. Phytochemistry Reviews, 15(5), 985–1008. | Link.

     

    Rowan University Resources

    You may need to log into the Rowan University Library website.

    Dancing with Douglas-fir: Determinism dominates fungal community assembly processes | Link

    Douglas Fir Growth in Mountain Ecosystems: Water Limits Tree Growth From Stand to Region | Link

    Will changes in phenology track climate change? A study of growth initiation timing in coast Douglas-fir | Link

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