Douglas Fir Identification - More than Just a Christmas Tree; It's Edible and Medicinal!

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Douglas-Fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii

There are two varieties of Douglas Fir that I describe in this video. Interior Douglas-Fir and Coastal Douglas Fir. Both can be found in western North America and throughout the Pacific Northwest. They are often used as Christmas trees, and they are also edible and medicinal!

Interior Douglas-Fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca

This tree is also known as the Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir. It can be found from the Interior of BC and southwestern Alberta and as far south as the Mexican border in the United States. This variety has cones that are up to 8 cm long, and the needles are bluish-green or lighter in colour than the coastal variety.

Coastal Douglas-Fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

This tree is also known as the Oregon Pine and the Columbian Pine. It is found from west-southern BC south to California west of the Cascade Mountains. Its cones are slightly loner, up to 10 cm, and the needles are deep green in colour.

Description and Identification

Douglas Fir is a large conifer that is typically 25 to 35 metres tall but can be as tall as 80 metres with a trunk diameter up to 1 m. Douglas-fir is widely used for commercial purposes.

Although called a fir, it is not a true fir hence the hyphenated name. It dominates forests from BC to California and can be found in dry to moist mixed-conifer forests from sea-level to middle elevations.

Fire suppression has led to its range expanding, and in many places it outcompetes less shade tolerant native trees like the Ponderosa Pine.

Douglas Fir can be identified by looking at the cones. The cones have distinct three-prong bracts that extend beyond the scales and resemble the back end of a mouse. Another feature to help identify Douglas-Fir is the needles are soft to the touch. This is in comparison to some other trees such as spruces which have needles that are much sharper to the touch.

Food

The soft inner bard can be used as a survival food. Young twigs and needles can be eaten or used to make a tea. They are a source of vitamin C. In certain conditions, like some hot sunny days, white crystals of sugar can appear on the needle tips. This can be used as a sweeter. Interior Salish people called this tree breast milk.

Medicine

Dried sap was chewed to relieve cold symptoms. Pitch, a secretion from the tree that is a consistency similar to dry honey, can be used on cuts, boils, sores, and other skin problems to aid healing and prevent infections. The bark can be used to make a tea to stop intestinal bleeding and relieve diarrhea.

I think Douglas-Fir is a beautiful tree that is potentially both edible and medicinal. When you go looking for a Christmas tree, I hope you will think of some of the other uses for this tree!

Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!

References

Kloos, Scott (2017)
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc.

MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014.

Parish, R.; Coupe, R.; and Lloyd, D. Plants of the Inland Northwest and Southern Interior British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2018