Douglas Fir - America's Favorite Christmas Tree

Pseudotsuga menziesii is one of the world's most important and valuable timber trees plus a favorite Christmas tree. It is a major component of the forests of western North America and has been successfully introduced in the last 100 years into many regions of the temperate forest zone. Horticulturists recommend doug fir as a "great" tree to plant as an ornamental in the northern U.S. states. Because of a uniform pyramidal shape when young, it is also a preferred Christmas tree.

Douglas-fir is not a true fir and has been a taxonomic nightmare for those trying to settle on a genus name. After changing names on numerous occasions the present scientific name Pseudotsuga menziesii now uniquely belongs to Douglas-fir. The unusual cone is also unique with, forked, snake-tongue-like bracts extending from each scale. The tree is one of the dominant trees in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and up the slopes to medium altitudes. It has the largest latitudinal range of any commercial conifer native to western North America.

Aspen-Doug Fir Forest in Utah - Photo by Steve Nix, Licensed to About.com