Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii
Tree to c. 40 m tall. Bark initially smooth, becoming reddish brown and blistering with age. Leaves 15–30 mm long, flattened, often recurved, yellow-green to dark green; apex obtuse to acute. Male cones yellow-red. Female cones ovoid, 6–10 cm long, brown, glossy; scales ±rhomboidal, apex obtuse; bracts appressed, longer than scales.
GipP, CVU, HSF.
Native to Northern America. Widely planted world-wide for construction timber, known in the trade as 'oregon'. However, in Australia it is mainly grown for amenity. Trials in Australia have found it to be too slow-growing to be a viable commercial timber. It is weakly naturalised in Victoria, apparently from abandoned trial plots in high-rainfall areas. Plants in Victoria usually only grow to about 40 m tall. However, in its native range it can obtain heights of up to 100 m.
Variety glauca is distinguished from var. menziesii by its bluish green leaves, smaller female cones, and spreading, reflexed bracts on seed scales.
Spinning