David Douglas 1799-1834
Scottish botanist David Douglas fundamentally transformed the global understanding of Pacific Northwest ecology during his extensive 1820s and 1830s expeditions along the Columbia River and throughout the broader Oregon Country. Sponsored by the Horticultural Society of London and aided by the Hudson's Bay Company, he spent years traversing present-day Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia to catalog and collect thousands of native plant and seed specimens. His monumental botanical legacy is permanently immortalized in the region's most iconic and economically significant timber tree, the Douglas-fir, which bears his name. Although his remarkable career was cut short by a tragic accidental death in Hawaii, Douglas's rigorous fieldwork successfully introduced the diverse flora of the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the world.
A Scottish botanist who is best known as the namesake of the Douglas-fir.
Biographical Overview
- Lived from 1799 to 1834
- Born: Jun 25, 1799, Scone, Perthshire, Scotland
- Died: Jul 12, 1834, Honolulu, Hawaii
Historical Events
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Entry Details
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Last updated: 2026-09-30