Virginia Tech Dendrology

Douglas-fir Pinaceae Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco symbol: PSME
Leaf: Evergreen, single needles that lack woody pegs or suction cups, yellow-green to blue-green, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, tips blunt or slightly rounded, very fragrant.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males oblong, red to yellow, near branch tips; females reddish, with long bracts, occurring near branch tips.
Fruit: Very distinctive, 3 to 4 inches long with rounded scales. Three-lobed bracts extend beyond the cone scales and resemble mouse posteriors. Maturing in late summer.
Twig: Slender and red-brown, with long, sharp, pointed, red-brown buds.
Bark: Smooth and gray on young stems, becoming thickened, red-brown with ridges and deep furrows.
Form: A pyramidal crown that is somewhat open and self-prunes poorly. Stems are characteristically straight.
Looks like: bigcone Douglas-fir - Chinese Douglas-fir - bristlecone fir - western hemlock

Additional Range Information: Pseudotsuga menziesii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Wood - Landowner Factsheet
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information