Fir, Douglas

Douglas fir has a reputation for being hard to establish outside its native range and yet many good specimens can be found across Nebraska. On the Great Plains, trees are prone to winter burning and windthrow when planted in the open and thus do much better when planted in groups and in sheltered locations. When established the tree can survive moderate drought, but prefers moist, well-drained soils. Suitable to plant throughout the state.

The seed of Douglas-fir is an important food for chickadees, red crossbill, finches (house and purple), evening grosbeak, Douglas squirrel, Townsend chipmunk, deer, meadow mice, shrews, and many other birds and mammals. Of course, you won't find all of these in Nebraska.

Douglas fir is one of the most important timber trees in the United States. It is harvested for a wide variety of uses and is the backbone of the western timber industry. The wood has great strength and yet it is not very heavy.

While the tree has its share of insect and disease enemies in its natural range, it is relatively pest free in this part of the country although long periods of drought can be a problem. The tree is a good choice for landscape plantings and makes a good choice for windbreaks on suitable lands.

Douglas fir is not a “true” fir like concolor fir. It is, in fact, a unique species and the only one of its kind within its genus. The genus name ‘Pseudotsuga’ means “false hemlock”, alluding to the similarity of its needles to those of the hemlocks.