Douglas firs are often used as Christmas trees
Leftover Christmas trees are turned into treats for animals at Chicago zoo
Animals at the Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo in Illinois received a surprise treat in their enclosures. Bears, a tiger, a lion and other animals were spotted checking out leftover Christmas trees that now provide treats.
The Douglas fir, also called a Douglas tree, Oregon pine or Douglas spruce, can grow hundreds of feet high — and the oldest of the species can live for over 1,000 years.
The Douglas fir is the state tree of Oregon.
The species can be found from western British Columbia through central California, according to Portland.gov.
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The Douglas fir was named after Scottish botanist David Douglas, according to Forestry and Land Scotland. In 1827, Douglas sent the first seed of a Douglas fir to Britain from North America.
The scientific name for the Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, is derived from the name of the person who discovered the species.
Douglas firs can grow hundreds of feet tall and live for hundreds of years — sometimes over 1,000 years. (Getty Images)
The Douglas fir was discovered on Vancouver Island in 1791 by Archibald Menzies.
The tree comes in two varieties, according to the National Wildlife Federation: the coast Douglas fir and the Rocky Mountain Douglas fir.
Coast Douglas firs tend to grow into the larger of the two.
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They can grow to be around 250 feet on average, according to the federation, measuring 5-6 feet in diameter.
Rocky Mountain Douglas firs have that same diameter, but they don't usually grow as tall. They usually reach around 160 feet, the federation notes.
The Douglas fir is the second-tallest tree species in the world, according to the National Park Service. The species holding the No. 1 spot is the coastal redwood.
The seeds of Douglas firs are located inside cones and are eaten by small mammals. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Coastal redwoods usually grow to be between 300 and 350 feet, according to the National Park Service.
The largest of the coast Douglas firs usually live for at least 500 years, but there have been examples of the trees living for over 1,000 years, according to the federation.
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Rocky Mountain Douglas firs usually don't live as long, typically standing for under 400 years.
Douglas firs provide a habitat for many creatures, and their seeds and sap are a food source.
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Seeds are usually munched on by chipmunks, red squirrels and other mammals of similar size, while bears eat the tree's sap, according to the National Wildlife Association.
Douglas firs are also valuable timber resources used for construction purposes and are commonly used to make furniture.
Douglas fir trees fill many Christmas tree farms. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Many Douglas fir trees are used as Christmas trees.
Fraser firs, noble firs and balsam firs are other species often used as Christmas trees.
Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.
