Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii is Canada's tallest tree some reaching heights of almost 100 metres. Young trees are an attractive pyramidal shape but older trees lose their lower branches and stand like columns giving a cathedral-like quality to the rain forests of the west coast of North America. Douglas Fir needles are flattened with sharp tips and the cones have little branching bracts that stick out between the scales and look a bit like the back legs and tails of tiny mice diving for shelter. This species is a valuable timber tree. [CH] {NT}