Pseudotsuga (genus)

Genus containing 6 species of coniferous evergreen timber trees native to western North America and eastern Asia. Trees are characterized by having long, flat, spirally arranged needles that grow directly from the branch. Each yellow- or blue-green needle has a short stalk at the base and a grooved upper surface. Winter buds are brown, shiny, and pointed. Uniquely among conifers, the Douglas fir has cones with 3-lobed bracts sticking out between the scales. The cones hang down rather than sticking up as in true firs. Cones mature in one season and retain their scales when they fall.