Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca

(Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir)

_DSC1056%20copy

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, FR 600, Deep Creek Overlook, White River Plateau, Garfield Co. 5880

_DSC1056%20copy

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, FR 600, Deep Creek Overlook, White River Plateau, Garfield Co. 5909

_DSC1056%20copy

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, FR 600, Deep Creek Overlook, White River Plateau, Garfield Co. 0033

_DSC1056%20copy

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, FR 600, Deep Creek Overlook, White River Plateau, Garfield Co. 0033-1

_DSC1056%20copy

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, FR 600, Deep Creek Overlook, White River Plateau, Garfield Co. 9997

_DSC1056%20copy

Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, FR 600, Deep Creek Overlook, White River Plateau, Garfield Co. 9994

Scientific Name Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca USDA PLANTS Symbol PSMEG
Common Name Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. 183428
Family Pinaceae (Pine) SEINet
Reference
Click Here
Description Life zones and habitat: Foothills to subalpine (5500 to 10500 ft.); wide variety of soils, but in CO generally found in more acidic or calcareous soils.
Plant: Evergreen, conifer tree growing to 100 to 130 feet (occasionally up to 160 feet) in the Rockies; diameter seldom more than 5 feet; crown narrow to broadly cone-shaped, flattening with age; bark on young trees thin, smooth, grey, with numerous resin blisters; bark on mature trees very thick and corky; mature trees usually live less than 400 years in the Rockies.
Needles: Single needles spirally-arranged around stems, 0.6 to 1.4 inches long, green to bluish green.
Cones: Male and female cones on same tree; male cones ~ 0.8 inch long and yellow to red; female cones pendulous and 1.6 to 2.8 inches long; scales subtended by conspicuous, protruding 3-lobed bracts.
References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, Wikipedia, Fire Effects Information System and Flora of North America.
BONAP Distribution Map

Map Color Key
Colorado Status:
Native

© Tom Lebsack 2024

Banner photo: Castilleja rhexifolia and a brewing storm over the San Juan Mountains