I am often asked, "What is your favorite tree?"
My favorite tree is the Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Like many of us in the Pacific NW, this tree is not easily put into a box. Sometimes called a pioneer species, it may live to well over a thousand years. Often dismissed as too big, the Douglas-fir is a very strong, flexible tree, capable of adapting to the urban environment.
The serious question for arborists in the NW is how do we care for a tree that can grow to 150 feet or more, right next to a house? Many of my fellow arborists have been debating this for years now. If you have one of these amazing trees, stop and admire it from time to time.
My favorite tree is the western hemlock because it is as graceful looking as deodar cedar and had some of the more flexible limbs. I like the foliage size and texture too.
ReplyDeleteGrew up mostly with Douglas fir on our property when I was a child though.
M. D. Vaden of Oregon
Beaverton / Portland