Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE DOUGLAS FIR
The spectacular Douglas fi r's scientifi c name is
Pseudotsuga menziesii , referring to Archibald Men-
zies, the Scottish botanist and physician who discov-
ered it in Western Canada in 1791.
Menzies fi rst spotted this species in Nootka Sound,
on what is now Vancouver Island, during Captain
Vancouver's Discovery expedition to continue the
exploration of the Pacifi c coast after the death of
Captain James Cook. David Douglas, the Scottish
botanist who gave the fi r tree his name, rediscovered
it in 1825 and introduced it to England and Europe.
Today, the Douglas fi r makes up close to 2.5% of
the French forest, particularly in the Massif Central
and Morvan, and is one of the main reforestation
softwood species in Western Europe.
In North America, its land of origin, it covers a vast
area from California to British Columbia, between
the Pacifi c coast and the eastern face of the Rockies.
The Douglas fi r can live 500 years, and its straight
trunk can grow to 80m high and several metres in
diameter.
An excellent, durable wood for carpentry, Douglas
fi r is used in joinery work for fl oor boards, cabinets
and more. It is also highly prized in ship-building for
its size and the absence of knots and defects, and is
also used in hydraulic and marine work (locks, piers,
wharfs). And of course there are composite and ply-
wood panels made of Douglas fi r, which, along with
poplar, is the most popular plywood in the construc-
tion industry.
3
Douglas fi rs. © Softwood Export Council
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