The Oregon Forest’s Amazing Medicines: Douglas Fir

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. John Muir

Douglas fir — photo by author

While we usually look for forest medicinal plants on the forest floor, in meadows, or along streambanks, the trees themselves — the plants that make a forest a forest — are sources of health and healing.

Here in Oregon, the majestic Douglas fir — Psuedotsuga menziesii — are the monarchs. While our forests are diverse, with several species of pine, cedar, hemlock, and deciduous trees such as maple, alder, and oak, it is the Douglas fir that is in the majority and for which the Northwest is known.

This is certainly true economically, as the fir has long been the cash crop of the forest industry. Douglas fir is a strong, flexible softwood, ideal for building and a staple of the housing industry. Healthy Douglas fir forests also support the environment, providing clean air and water.

Additional health benefits include the peace and tranquility they inspire which, as we discussed in another post, is partly from the release of essential oils into the air, calming the human nervous system.

While the economic and environmental benefits of fir are a worthy topic, we want to focus on the medicinal benefits. The indigenous peoples used the needles and bark for tea, which was said to cure rheumatism and stomach ailments. The resin was used to heal cuts. There are a few stories in early historical accounts of tribal members restoring European explorers back to health by giving them fir needle tea.

That would work — the needles are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, expectorant, and have sedative properties. No wonder a walk in a conifer forest opens your lungs and clears your mind. The needles contain a lot of vitamin C and are useful for colds and asthma.

Tip: for the best tea, forage the young pale green tips in the spring from mature healthy trees. The older needles work well as tea, but have a more balsamic flavor.

And, of course, the resin also has antiseptic properties and was used by the tribes to enhance the healing of wounds. Resin was used directly, but it is less sticky to infuse the resin into oil and make a fir resin salve, balm, or ointment for cuts, abrasions, and burns. It is also believed to be beneficial for healing sprains and bone injuries. A resin salve also makes a good chest rub to help during cold and flu season.

The bark was used by indigenous peoples for digestive problems including diarrhea and internal bleeding. The bark, like the needles, is traditionally brewed into a tea.

As with all medicinal plants, it is important to identify the species correctly. Douglas fir is very common and easy to identify, but it is important to distinguish it from Yew, also an evergreen, that is poisonous. Yew has a reddish, paper-like bark that peels off and bears a small red fruit. There are no berries on Douglas fir.

It is easy enough to collect the fir needles and use them fresh or dried to decoct a tea. Rinse your needles, then bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Turn down the heat, then add ½ cup of the needles to the water and cover. Allow to steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain and add honey or sweetener as desired.