FIR, DOUGLAS

Botanical Name: Pseudotsuga Menziesii

Other Common Names: Red Fir, Yellow Fir, Oregon Pine, Puget Sound Pine, Red Pine, Red Spruce & Douglas Spruce.

The common name honors David Douglas, the Scottish botanist who first introduced P. menziesii into cultivation in 1826. Douglas is known for introducing many North American native conifers to Europe.

Douglas Fir is North America's most plentiful softwood species. It is among the strongest and hardest softwood species. Fir is unique among all softwood species in that it is naturally dimensionally stable, having the ability to season well in position. Douglas Fir possesses a light rosy color that is set off by its remarkably straight and handsome grain pattern. The color will darken or "redden" over time when exposed to light.

Douglas Fir is utilized extensively in the millwork industry with the manufacture of doors, windows, and moulding. It is also a choice among designers for cabinets and furniture. Douglas Fir is a top choice for structural and decorative beams.