The Douglas-fir or Oregon-pine (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco) is an evergreen conifer native to western North America. Trees can reach 20–100 metres high and 2–3 metres in diameter, and form dense forests where light penetrates with difficulty. As the trees grow taller, they lose their lower branches, and the green foliage starts dozens of metres above the ground. The bark is grey and fissured, but when covered by algae and mosses, can appear green.
The tree has been planted in several regions of Portugal, namely Vila Pouca de Aguiar, where this photograph was taken. On the edges of the forest, the light penetrates, but the interior is dusky, and few herbaceous plants grow. I was enchanted by the morphology and elegance of the trees, the dialogue between light and shadows, and the silence felt inside, which invites meditation.
