Editing Douglas fir (section)

==Uses==
[[File:A large log of Douglas fir going to market. This log is over 9 ft. in diameter and scales 7000 board ft of timber. There is (62325581e6a34599a6accfaf298a2985).jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|A 9-ft log, scaling over 7,000 {{Nowrap|board-ft}} of timber, c.&nbsp;1937]]

Many different [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] groups used the bark, resin, and needles to make herbal treatments for various diseases.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_psme.pdf |title=Douglas Fir |access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref> [[Native Hawaiian]]s built ''waʻa kaulua'' ([[Outrigger canoe|double-hulled canoes]]) from coast Douglas-fir logs that had [[Driftwood|drifted]] ashore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conifers.org/pi/Pseudotsuga_menziesii_menziesii.php|title=''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii ''|publisher=The Gymnosperm Database|access-date=March 17, 2013|quote=This was the preferred species for Hawaiian war canoes. The Hawaiians, of course, did not log the trees; they had to rely on driftwood.}}</ref> The wood has historically been favored as [[firewood]], especially from the coastal variety.<ref name=":02" /> In addition early settlers used Douglas-fir for all forms of building construction, including floors, beams, and fine carving. 

The species is extensively used in [[forestry]] management as a [[plantation]] tree for softwood [[timber]]. Douglas-fir is one of the world's best timber-producing species and yields more timber than any other species in North America, making the forestlands of western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia the most productive on the continent. In 2011, Douglas-fir represented 34.2% of US lumber exports, to a total of 1.053 billion board-feet.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Curtis|first1=Robert|url=https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_1996_curtis001.pdf|title=Timber Supply in the Pacific Northwest|last2=Carey|first2=Andrew|publisher=USDA Forest Service|year=1996}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Douglas-fir timber is used for [[timber frame construction]] and [[Timber roof truss|timber trusses]] using traditional joinery, [[Wood veneer|veneer]], and [[Wood flooring|flooring]] due to its strength, hardness and durability.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wood-database.com/douglas-fir/|title=Douglas-Fir |work=Wood Database|access-date=August 15, 2018}}</ref> As of 2024, the only wooden ships still currently in use by the [[U.S. Navy]] in conventional naval operations are [[Avenger-class minesweeper]]s, made of Douglas-fir.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/the-navys-wooden-avengers-are-real-life-mine-sweepers-5912499|title=The Navy's Wooden Avengers Are Real-Life Mine Sweepers|last=Tarantola|first=Andrew|date=23 May 2012|website=[[Gizmodo]]|quote="wooden hulls—typically oak, Douglas-fir, or Nootka Cypress—coated in glass-reinforced plastic"}}</ref>

Douglas-fir sees wide use in heavy timber structures, as its wood is strong, available in a number of specifications including kiln dried and grade stamped, and can be supplied in very long lengths to 60 feet. West coast mills are sophisticated in their processing of timbers, making lead times predictable and availability reliable. [[Paint]]s adhere well to Douglas-fir. [[Wood stain|Stains]] perform well on Douglas-fir timbers with the mild caution that the natural color of this species varies and care must be taken to ensure uniformity of color. Pitch pockets that may ooze resin can be present in timbers that have not been kiln dried. Because of the timber sizes available, stamped timber grading, and relatively short lead times, Douglas-fir sees wide use in both public and residential projects.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

The species has ornamental value in large parks and gardens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=6316|title=''Pseudotsuga menziesii ''|publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|access-date=2012-07-14|archive-date=2013-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109213719/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=6316|url-status=dead}}</ref> It has been commonly used as a [[Christmas tree]] since the 1920s, and the trees are typically grown on plantations.<ref name="christmas">{{cite web|title=Douglas-Fir|url=http://www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/Education/Tree-Varieties/DouglasFir|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803003955/https://www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/Education/Tree-Varieties/DouglasFir|archive-date=2020-08-03|access-date=2022-02-10|website=National Christmas Tree Association}}</ref>

The buds have been used to flavor [[eau de vie]], a clear, colorless fruit brandy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/dining/15pour.html|title=An Orchard in a Bottle, at 80 Proof|first=Eric|last=Asimov|author-link=Eric Asimov|date=August 15, 2007|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 1, 2009}}</ref> Douglas-fir pine leaves can be used to make [[pine needle tea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.growforagecookferment.com/foraging-for-pine-needles/|title=Foraging for Pine Needles (and other conifer needles)|date=December 23, 2015|website=Grow Forage Cook Ferment}}</ref> They possess a tangy citrus flavor and may serve in some recipes as a wild substitute for [[rosemary]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Boyd |first=Sabra |date=November 27, 2020 |title=As a homeless teen, I foraged for wild food to survive. The lessons still shape my cooking. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2020/11/27/fettuccine-alfredo-douglas-fir-recipe/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=December 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127151759if_/https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2020/11/27/fettuccine-alfredo-douglas-fir-recipe/ |archive-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref>