Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii

The second instalment of Canada's new definitives feature tree: the trembling aspen, the Douglas and the sugar maple. These magnificent trees symbolize the vastness and strength of our country. The Douglas fir grows in the forests of the Pacific coast, doing well in deep, well-drained, sandy loams when both soil moisture and atmospheric moisture are plentiful. This tree, featured on the 20¢ definitive, attains heights of 150 or 200 feet with diameters of up to nine feet. Some occasionally grow higher than 300 feet with diameters of fifteen feet or more. A strong, wide-spreading root system braces the tree against powerful winds. Partly because of this, some specimens have lived more than 1,000 years. Since the Douglas fir is intolerant of shade, other species sometimes crowd it out of the forest. The Douglas fir is very important commercially. Its exceptionally strong wood is valuable for structural purposes and for plywood, interior and exterior finishing, pulp, and a host of other things. Heather Cooper, Toronto artist and designer, is a partner in the firm of Burns, Cooper, Donoahue, Fleming & Company Limited, internationally known for their fine work in the graphic arts. Her designs for this definitive and her accurate renderings of the foliage of tree convey the colour and beauty of the subject within the confines of a small stamp size. The Latin designation for the tree appears in the plate-block inscriptions.