Five years ago, some friends and I dropped two 90-foot-tall Douglas-fir trees that were dying due to a beetle attack and threatening to fall on my cabin. After felling the trees, we cut them into rounds and stacked the rounds in the forest behind the cabin to dry fully. Over the last couple of years, I have been splitting the rounds for firewood.
The
Douglas Fir is a remarkable tree that can reach heights of up to 250 feet.
Despite its name, it is not considered a true fir. This distinction arises from
its cones, which hang down from the branches and fall off whole, a
characteristic different from true firs. The Douglas Fir's needles are also
unique; they are one inch long, flat, and notably friendly to the
touch—flexible and not prickly.
To
distinguish between spruce and fir trees, a closer look at the needles is
essential. Spruce needles are sharply pointed, square in shape, and can be
easily rolled between your fingers. However, these needles are sharp and can
"bite" when handled. Fir needles, in contrast, are softer, flat, and
cannot be rolled between your fingers.
The
name "Douglas-fir" is often hyphenated to reflect that it is not a
true fir. Due to its similarities with other species, the Douglas Fir has been
mistakenly identified as pine, spruce, hemlock, and even a true fir.
Eventually, it was assigned its own genus, Pseudotsuga, which translates to
"false hemlock."
Upon
arriving at the cabin last night, I loaded the last of the rounds into my truck
to haul them home and split them there. Several of the rounds were nearly two
feet wide, requiring me to split them with a wedge before loading them into the
back of my rig. From beginning to end, this is hard work, but I very much enjoy
it.
—Mitchell
Hegman
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