Oregon State Tree: Douglas Fir

Oregon's official state tree is the Douglas Fir, a massive evergreen conifer native to western North America. This tree grows 200 to 250 feet tall in Oregon forests, with exceptional old-growth specimens reaching 300 feet or more. The trunk measures four to eight feet in diameter on mature trees, with some ancient Douglas firs exceeding 12 feet across. These enormous dimensions made Douglas fir Oregon's most valuable timber species. The tree grows rapidly for a conifer, adding two to three feet per year during peak growth. Douglas fir can live 500 to 1,000 years in Oregon. The species dominated Oregon's lumber industry from the late 1800s through today, producing billions of board feet of high-quality lumber that built cities across America and around the world.

The needles appear flat, measuring three-quarters to one inch long, and grow all around the twig but sweep to the sides creating a flattened spray appearance. The needles are soft to touch with blunt or slightly pointed tips. They emerge bright yellow-green in spring and darken to blue-green. Each needle shows two white lines on the underside. The needles stay on the tree for five to eight years before dropping, giving Douglas fir a full, dense appearance. The distinctive cones hang downward from branches, measuring two to four inches long. Small three-pointed bracts stick out between cone scales, creating a unique appearance described as resembling mouse tails and hindquarters hiding in the cone. This bract feature provides certain identification of Douglas fir.

Douglas fir grows throughout western Oregon from sea level to 5,000 feet elevation. The species dominates the Cascade Range and Coast Range forests, forming pure stands on some sites and mixing with western hemlock, western redcedar, and other conifers elsewhere. Oregon contains more Douglas fir acreage than any other state. The tree thrives in Oregon's climate with wet winters and dry summers. Young Douglas firs tolerate shade but mature trees require full sun. The species regenerates prolifically after logging or fire, with thousands of seedlings sprouting per acre. Oregon's managed forests grow Douglas fir in even-aged plantations that reach harvest size in 40 to 60 years. Old-growth Douglas fir forests, while greatly reduced from historical extent, still exist in protected areas across Oregon including wilderness areas and national forests.

The official name is Douglas Fir, honoring Scottish botanist David Douglas who documented the species during his 1825-1827 Pacific Northwest exploration. The scientific name Pseudotsuga menziesii combines Pseudotsuga (Greek for 'false hemlock') with menziesii honoring Scottish physician-naturalist Archibald Menzies who first collected specimens in 1791. Early Oregon settlers called it Oregon pine, though it's not a true pine. Loggers used the term red fir for the reddish wood or Douglas spruce, though it's not a true spruce either.

Some references use Douglas-fir with a hyphen to emphasize it belongs to its own genus, neither true fir nor true hemlock. Native American tribes had various names - the Chinook called it la'ka. The genus Pseudotsuga includes only a handful of species. Douglas fir belongs to the Pinaceae family. Oregon's Douglas fir is the coastal variety of the species, distinct from Rocky Mountain Douglas fir which has shorter needles and smaller cones. The coastal form dominates Oregon and produces superior timber compared to the interior variety.

Oregon designated the Douglas Fir as its official state tree on February 25, 1939. The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 16 during the 1939 session. Governor Charles Sprague signed the legislation establishing Douglas fir as Oregon's arboreal symbol. The designation recognized a tree that had driven Oregon's economy since statehood in 1859 and dominated the state's landscape more completely than any tree dominated any other state. By 1939, Oregon had become America's leading lumber-producing state, and Douglas fir comprised over 90 percent of the harvest.

Oregon chose Douglas fir because the species defined the state's identity and economy more thoroughly than most state trees define their states. When settlers arrived in Oregon Territory in the 1840s via the Oregon Trail, they found vast Douglas fir forests covering the Willamette Valley and both mountain ranges. These forests contained the largest, tallest trees many pioneers had ever seen. The straight-grained, strong wood proved ideal for construction. Early Oregon communities built everything from Douglas fir - homes, stores, churches, mills, and ships. Portland developed into a major port partly because Douglas fir timber could be shipped worldwide. Oregon sawmills processed Douglas fir at an industrial scale unmatched anywhere else.

The tree shaped Oregon's development in profound ways. Logging camps dotted Oregon's mountains as companies harvested old-growth Douglas fir starting in the 1880s. Entire towns sprang up around sawmills processing the timber. Railroad lines pushed into forests to reach Douglas fir stands. The industry employed tens of thousands of Oregonians - loggers, millworkers, railroad workers, and support jobs in logging communities. Oregon lumber built San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, constructed military bases during both World Wars, and supplied Japan's reconstruction after World War II. The Douglas fir export business made Oregon a global timber supplier. The species' rapid growth allowed Oregon to develop sustainable forestry - clear-cutting followed by replanting created the plantation forests that cover millions of Oregon acres today. Modern Oregon produces over three billion board feet of lumber annually, with Douglas fir remaining the dominant species. The forest products industry employs over 60,000 Oregonians directly, with hundreds of thousands more in related businesses. The 1939 designation honored a tree that had built Oregon's economy, employed generations of workers, created communities across the state, and made Oregon synonymous with timber production in America and worldwide.

Oregon's state flower is the Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium), designated in 1899. The state adopted its floral symbol 40 years before choosing Douglas fir. Both symbols are evergreens native to Oregon. The low-growing Oregon grape produces yellow flowers in spring and blue berries in fall, while Douglas fir towers overhead year-round. Oregon grape grows in the understory beneath Douglas fir forests across the state. Together these symbols represent Oregon's layered forest ecosystems from ground level shrubs to towering conifers. Both plants thrive in Oregon's climate and define the state's distinctive Pacific Northwest character.

The cones provide the most reliable identification feature. Look for hanging cones two to four inches long with distinctive three-pointed bracts sticking out between cone scales. These bracts resemble tiny pitchforks or mouse feet and tails. No other Oregon conifer has these obvious protruding bracts. The cones mature in fall and drop in winter, often carpeting the ground beneath Douglas firs. Find an intact cone and examine the bracts for certain identification.

The needles help confirm identity. Each needle measures three-quarters to one inch long and appears flat with a blunt or slightly pointed tip. The needles are soft to touch, unlike stiff spruce needles. They grow all around the twig but sweep to the sides, creating flat sprays. Look at the needle underside to see two white stomatal lines. The needles smell slightly citrusy when crushed. Young Douglas firs show bright yellow-green new growth in spring that contrasts with darker old growth. The overall color appears blue-green rather than the darker green of true firs.

The overall form shows a tall, straight trunk with a narrow, conical crown when young. Mature trees develop more irregular crowns with the top sometimes breaking or flattening. Forest-grown Douglas firs show straight, branch-free trunks for 100 feet or more before the first living branches. Open-grown trees branch lower and develop fuller crowns. The bark on young trees appears smooth and gray with resin blisters. As trees age, the bark becomes deeply furrowed with thick, corky ridges appearing reddish-brown to gray-brown. Very old trees develop bark eight inches thick that protects against fire. The deeply furrowed bark pattern distinguishes Douglas fir from smooth-barked true firs.

Douglas Fir represents Oregon's economic foundation and natural grandeur. The tree symbolizes the state's role as America's timber producer and the generations of loggers and millworkers who built Oregon communities. For Oregonians, Douglas fir evokes the state's forested landscape and the towering trees that distinguish Oregon from other states. The species embodies Oregon's commitment to forestry - balancing timber production with forest conservation. The tree represents Oregon's identity as a place where forests define landscape, economy, and culture. Douglas fir connects modern Oregon to the pioneers who first saw these magnificent forests and to the sustainable forestry practices that ensure Douglas fir will continue shaping Oregon's future.