This western North American conifer is fairly easily recognized by its distinctive cones, which feature papery, 3-pronged spikes. On the West Coast, especially in the "fog belt," the trees can reach astounding sizes, rivaling coast redwood in towering heights. However, in the Rocky Mountains Douglas-fir is not a giant tree, and is easily mistaken for many other conifers.
The list of mushrooms associated with Douglas-fir, either as mycorrhizal associates or saprobes, is very long. Commonly encountered, "classic" or "field guide" mushrooms found with Douglas-fir include: Amanita aprica, Amanita smithiana, Gomphidius subroseus, Lactarius rubidus, Lactarius rubrilacteus, Phaeolus schweinitzii, Sparassis radicata, and Suillus lakei (which associates only with Douglas-fir). However, hundreds of other mushrooms are also associated with Douglas-fir, including Agaricus buckmacadooi, Amanita augusta, Amanita calyptroderma, Amanita novinupta, Auriscalpium vulgare, Baeospora myosura, Calocybe onychina, Cantharellus subalbidus, Chroogomphus pseudovinivolor, Cortinarius seidliae, Craterellus species 02, Floccularia fusca, Gomphidius oregonensis, Helvella maculata, Helvella vespertina, Hericium abietis, Hydnellum aurantiacum, Hydnum oregonense, Hypholoma capnoides, Leccinum caespitosum, Morchella frustrata, Morchella hotsonii, Morchella snyderi, Rhodofomes cajanderi, Rhodofomes roseus, Russula gracilis, Russula xerampelina, Strobiluris lignitilis, Suillus caerulescens, Suillus ponderosus, Tricholoma murrillianum, and Tricholoma terreum.
