Douglas fir

Can "dead" stumps keep growing?

Have you ever come across a stump that grew a bulging cap on top of the cut surface? How and why does this happen?

How do trees avoid incest?

Aaa-choo! With all that pollen wafting around, how do trees minimize self-pollination? It’s not like a tree can choose its mate …

Hooray, Douglas-fir cones are back!

Last year, did you notice an absence of new cones on Douglas-firs? The cones are back. Douglas squirrels can rejoice.

Why are Douglas-fir cones falling when they're still green?

Something is causing green Douglas-fir cones to fall from the trees before they are ripe. And, the cones are getting piled up into mounds. Who’s doing this?

What are those tiny brown cones that are covering my driveway?

I’ve been sweeping zillions of tiny, brown, cone-like structures off of my driveway. They are male pollen cones from Douglas-firs, Pseudotsuga menziesii.

Cones on Douglas-firs this year!

Douglas-fir cones are re-appearing again after a year of no cones.

Douglas-fir seeds: a trick question

Let's take apart a Douglas-fir cone with a pair of kitchen shears. What's inside?

For old cones, you'd expect that most or all of the seeds are gone, which is what we find.

What do Douglas-fir seeds look like? How many are there?

And finally, read this for a trick question ...

Abundant Douglas maples?

Have you ever seen Douglas maples in abundance? ... I haven't either, until a recent week-long trip to Cypress Island near Anacortes, Washington.