Item Tag: Pseudotsuga menziesii

Green Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii viridis, Tree Seeds Hardy, Easy to Grow, Bonsai, Christmas Tree, Fragrant Evergreen, Timber, Long Lived, Cold Tolerant Douglas Fir is a huge and stately long lived evergreen conifer, the largest member of the pine family. Specimens more than 300 feet tall with trunk diameters exceeding 15 feet are known. Some of the larger trees are believed to be over a thousand years old. Douglas Fir has a narrow pyramidal shape, losing their lower branching and becoming more cylindrical with age. The bark on young trees is smooth and ashy gray; that on mature trees is reddish brown and broken into longitudinal plates; really large trees can have bark more than 12 inches thick. The grayish green needles are flattened, quite soft, about 1 inch long, and arranged all around the twigs like a bottle brush. Needles are fragrant when bruised. The cones are oval and pendulous, 2 to 4 inches long and each scale has a conspicuous three-pointed bract that gives the cone an overall spiny look. These trident shaped bracts are unique to the Douglas Firs. Douglas Firs start bearing cones at the tender age of 10 years and continue to produce nearly every year of their lives. Douglas Firs, with their dense foliage and symmetrical pyramidal form are attractive ornamentals, used extensively as specimens and wind breaks in the northern U.S. and Europe. Large trees are imposing specimens. Planted close together and pruned, Douglas Firs make fine evergreen hedges. Young Douglas Firs, whose needles remain on the tree long after it is cut, are excellent as Christmas trees and the Douglas Fir especially, is widely grown for that purpose. One of the most important timber trees in North America, Douglas Fir is used for railroad ties and all kinds of construction. The wood of Douglas Fir is resistant to decay, does not warp, and is stronger for its weight than that of any other American tree. Since the trees are so huge, it is possible to get very large beams and boards that are totally free of defects and knots. The largest beams are used for structural trusses in bridges, docks and large buildings. They make great flag poles too. At the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, Oregon displayed a flag pole from a single Douglas Fir (their State Tree) that was a little more than 299 feet long. The seeds of Douglas Firs are a very important food source for native wildlife. The Douglas squirrel, Townsend chipmunk, red-winged crossbill, Clark’s nutcracker, and dark-eyed junco are just a few of the many critters that eat large quantities of Douglas Fir seeds. The blue grouse eats the needles. Douglas Fir was first discovered in 1791 by the physician and botanist, Archibald Menzies, who is honored in the botanical name. It was introduced to England in 1827 by the Scot, David Douglas, who is honored by the common name. There are only five species in the genus. Pseudotsuga means “false hemlock”; they differ from the true hemlocks (Tsuga) in having hanging, rather than erect, cones. Other Names: Douglas-fir, Douglas Spruce, Green Needled Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga douglasii, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pseudotsuga taxifolia viridisZone: 5 to 7Growth Rate: ModeratePlant Type: Needled evergreen coniferFamily: PinaceaeNative Range: Western North America Height: 40 to 125 feet Spread: 12 to 20 feet Shape: PyramidalSun: Full SunFall Color: EvergreenDrought Tolerance: In cultivation, Douglas Fir is not tolerant of drought. They grow best in humid climates.Water: Medium to Wet Maintenance: LowSite Requirements/Soil Tolerances: Best grown in medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun, it can tolerate partial shade, but it does best in full sun. Does best in locations with abundant air and soil moisture. A good tree for northern climates.Culture: One of the most abundant trees in western North America, Douglas Firs grow from sea level to 10,000 feet and in climates that get just 15 inches of precipitation annually to climates that average more than 100 inches of precipitation a year. It often grows in pure to nearly pure stands. Douglas Fir is a widely grown and very popular ornamental in Great Britain. It has been planted in New Zealand as a timber crop and is now considered an invasive weed there. Under ideal conditions, Douglas Fir can grow 35 feet tall in 20 or 25 years.Uses: Bonsai. Attractive specimen, good accent plant, Christmas tree, shade tree, lawn tree. Plant in groups or use as screen/windbreak. Sowing Pseudotsuga menziesii glauca Seeds:For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.Scarify: Soak in water 24 HoursStratify: Cold 30 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium (Not wet).Germination: Sow 1/4″ Deep, Keep moist, (Not wet).For more information about seed pretreatment and growing trees and shrubs from seed, please try the following link:https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2007/08/fcpg018.pdf Germination:Seeds Packets are labeled with seed name and sowing details.Seeds have not been pretreated unless specified in the listing.Seed is not a specific Cultivar (Variety) unless specified in the listing.Due to the many factors involved in successful germination, Seller cannot be responsible for buyers growing methods or mistakes.I have provided what I believe to be a good overview on this page (which you are free to print for further reference), however, it is still recommended to check specialist literature for more details and practices specific to your climate and soil conditions to avoid mistakes in the germination and growing process. 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