Cones: the cones are 5 to 11 centimeters long, turning from green to gray as they mature. Bark-The bark is smooth, gray-brown, with gummy resin-filled blisters when young; the bark becomes very thick with age and deeply grooved, with dark reddish-brown ridges. Full grown height-the full-grown height is a height of 85 meters on the coast and 42 meters in the Interior.
Native uses: Aboriginal people in the south part of the province had many uses for Douglas fir. They used the wood and the boughs as fuel for cooking. They also used it for fishing hooks and for handles. Douglas-fir boughs were frequently used for covering the floors of lodges.
Animal uses: Many animals eat Douglas-fir seeds, including squirrels, chipmunks, mice, shrews, winter wrens, and crossbills. Bears often scrape off the bark on young trees and eat the sap layer beneath.
Needles: the needles are flat with a pointed tip. The upper surface is bright yellowish-green with a single groove down the center; the lower surface is paler. The needles appear to stand out around the twig.
The two varieties of Douglas fir occur in quite different ecosystems. The Interior variety grows in a variety of habitats including open forests with pine grass and mosses beneath. On the coast, the forests are much more productive. Douglas fir can grow with western red cedar, hemlock, and grand fir, with a lush layer of salad, huckleberries, Oregon grape, and sword fern beneath.
Leaves are needle like, at least 4 times longer than wide. Needles occur singly, not in clusters. Buds are elongated and have sharp, pointed tips.