Virginia Tech Dendrology

bigcone Douglas-fir Pinaceae Pseudotsuga macrocarpa (Vasey) Mayr symbol: PSMA
Leaf: Evergreen flat needles, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, irregularly two ranked, generally sharp pointed, attached singly and lack a woody peg or suction cup attachment, blue-green to gray-green above, bluish bands below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males oblong, red turning to pale yellow, appearing near branch tips in clusters; females reddish with long bracts, appearing near branch tips in spring.
Fruit: Very distinctive dark brown cone, 4 to 6 inches long, round scales with obvious three-lobed bracts protruding beyond cone scales, maturing in late summer.
Twig: Slender, reddish brown often drooping, with long sharp, pointed, reddish brown buds.
Bark: Smooth gray-brown when young, becoming darker, reddish brown and deeply furrowed with rounded ridges.
Form: Medium sized tree reaching up to 60 feet tall often with long swooping branches.
Looks like: Douglas-fir - Chinese Douglas-fir - bristlecone fir - western hemlock

Additional Range Information: Pseudotsuga macrocarpa is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
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