DOUGLAS FIR :: Arno & Fiedler

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

The Douglas-fir is complex and chock full of enigmas, even regarding something so seemingly simple as its name. "Douglas-fir" was not formally settled until 1950, despite the tree being centuries old and specimens first collected by a non-indigenous person in 1791. The tree's secrets are spilled in Douglas Fir, so titled by forestry pioneers Stephen Arno and Carl Fiedler because this is how (incorrectly) the name is used in common parlance--all the more amusing when one learns it isn't a true fir.

The Douglas-fir was once the world's premier construction lumber and changed the course of history on several fronts. Douglas-fir is a "mix of distinctive structural features and physiological attributes [producing] a tree that is puzzling, exceptional, and in ways a marvel of nature." It yields more quality lumber than any other tree in the world and its genetic diversity allows it to range from mere head-height to hundreds of feet tall. It tends to be fire-resistant, adding to the chance it can live for centuries. Coastal Douglas-fir even contributes to its own irrigation by collecting fog droplets on its needles. "Though this tree has long played an integral role in the lives of humans and animals, many of its secrets are only now being understood through modern science."

Arno and Fiedler have written other books together about the natural world (Ponderosa) and present a seamless and engaging history of one of its marvels. The narrative includes historical photos and detailed sketches and is followed by a visitor's guide to notable North American Douglas-firs--altogether a trip-inspiring package.