How to Grow and Care for Common douglas-fir

Common douglas-fir stands out as a majestic evergreen with significant height, reaching 40 to 80 feet (12 to 24 meters) in cultivation, and soaring to 300 feet (91 meters) in wild settings. It adopts a narrow pyramid shape while young, with lower branches drooping and the upper ones reaching skyward. As common douglas-fir ages, it grows into a cylindrical form, shedding its lower branches, which accentuates the branching in the upper third of its height. The bark transitions from smooth and gray in youth to a mature reddish-brown with prominent ridges and deep furrows. The needles are dark green, flat, and spirally arranged, measuring up to 1.25 inches (3.2 centimeters) in length, exuding a fragrance when handled. Its cones, distinctive with forked bracts, hang pendulously and measure 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 centimeters) with unique three-pointed tongue-like appendages.