Compare Scotch Pine to Douglas Fir

Geography

• The Scotch pine comes from overseas, where it grows wild from Norway south to Spain and into Asia. Douglas fir is native to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast. Scotch pine is cold hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 2, while Douglas fir lacks such cold hardiness, tolerating the winters between USDA zones 4 through 6. Douglas fir handles high elevations, growing in places as high as 9,500 feet.

Size

• Scotch pine, in its natural settings, can grow to 100 feet high, but this still lags well behind the largest of the Douglas firs. Douglas fir can attain incredible heights, with some as tall as 300 feet. In cultivation, this translates into Scotch pine being between 30 and 60 feet high, while a Douglas fir averages from 60 to 80 feet tall.

Features

• The needles on a Scotch pine are stiff, developing between 1 and 4 inches long. They are bluish-green and come in bundles of twos, growing out of the branches. Scotch pine cones are pale brown, oval and up to 3 inches long. The bark of a Scotch pine is brown-gray, but a reddish-orange layer beneath the exterior one gives the tree ornamental value as the other layer peels away. Douglas fir’s flat needles, arranged in spirals around the twigs, are dark green and just 1 1/2 inches long. The showy cones are tan and 4 inches in length. Douglas firs feature red-brown bark adorned with ridges and fissures.

Uses

• The Douglas fir makes an outstanding specimen tree because of its straight trunk, which often lacks branches on half its length. However, its potential size limits its use, especially in urban venues, since it is suitable only for yards with plenty of space. Landscapers may create groups of specimens with Douglas firs. The Scotch pine, since it is smaller, serves as a privacy screen, shade tree or for group plantings. Scotch pine is available in multiple cultivars like Hillside Creeper and Pumila, with some small enough for rock gardens and foundations.