Stats

Lifespan: Up to 1000 yrs
Size: Huge
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate coniferous forest
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Armor
Status: Common

About

Despite its name, the Douglas-fir is not a true fir — it belongs to its own genus, Pseudotsuga, and is one of the tallest trees in the world, capable of exceeding 100 m in old-growth forests. Its cones are immediately recognisable by three-pronged papery bracts that poke out between every scale, resembling a mouse's hind legs and tail tucking for shelter.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Pseudotsuga
Species: Pseudotsuga menziesii