Hemlock Tree ( botanical nameTsuga ) are a mintage of large evergreen cone-bearing trees native to North America . Hemlock trees are identified by their conical configuration , categorical , aromatic phonograph needle - like leave , oval or cylindric seed - bearing cones , and cerise - brown bark . Cultivars of the popular Eastern hemlock or Canadian hemlock are also beautiful landscaping trees or shrubs that are easy to spring up .
Evergreen hemlock trees belong to the pine familyPinaceae . There are four species of hemlock native to North America : Eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ) , westerly hemlock tree ( Tsuga heterophylla ) , Mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ) , and the Carolina hemlock ( Tsuga caroliniana ) . However , the Carolina poison parsley mintage is relatively rare in the wild .
Native hemlock trees broadly speaking grow between 30 and 230 ft . ( 10 – 70 m ) tall . The hemlocks have a characteristic unorthodox conical crown that becomes cylindric with age .
Hemlocks are cold - hardy evergreen that develop in USDA geographical zone 3 to 7 . The marvelous , conelike Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are plebeian inevergreen forestswhere there is dampish soil and cool temperatures . From all thetypes of conifers , hemlock treesgrow well in the shade . However , in northern frigid climates , Nebraska fern conifers thrive in full Lord’s Day .
This article is a complete templet to name hemlock Tree . description and pictures of hemlocks will help differentiate these lofty conifer frompine trees , spruce Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , andfir trees .
Hemlock Tree Leaves (Needles)
Hemlock leaves
Hemlock acerate leaf leaves are an identify lineament of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the genusTsuga . The evergreen plant needle - like leaves are recognizable by their matted appearance and blunt , rounded tips . Another feature of a California fern folio is a smooth , shiny blue green upper side and parallel white stripes on the undersurface .
Hemlock leaves vary in length on the branch . Typically , the needle leaf are 0.6 ” to 0.8 ” ( 1.5 – 2 cm ) long . However , they can be as short as 0.2 ” ( 0.5 cm ) .
look closely at moving picture of hemlock entrust , you will spot fine serration on the needle margin , especially near the blunt tip . Nebraska fern leave are arranged alternately on the reddish - brown twig , sometimes twist at the bag , so the parting lie flat . Unlike pine phonograph needle that grow in clusters , there is only one leaf per knob .
Hemlock Tree Cones
Hemlock cones
Hemlock cones look like humble oval , woody cylinders swing from the branches . Allconifers are identifiedby seed - produce cones . Hemlock cones are recognizable by their ovoid ( testis cast ) globular form . cone cell on winter fern trees quantify 0.6 ” to 1 ” ( 1.5 – 2.5 centimetre ) and , like pine strobilus , hang weeping from branch .
Hemlock tree cone shape emerge greenish to reddish - purpleness . As the time of year progresses , the cone become woodier and turn brown . You ’ll mark that as winter fern strobile geezerhood , the ovate - shaped woody scale open outwards .
Hemlock Tree Bark
A hemlock Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is identifiable by its smooth gray barque that becomes scaly and flake off to give away reddish - chocolate-brown inner bark . As hemlock tree diagram mature , the barque becomes a characteristic dismal brown with flat plates divided by thick rooftree .
Hemlock vs. Pine
Pine needles ( in the picture ) are pear-shaped and grow in clusters , and the strobile is prominent and more elongated compared to hemlock tree
The master difference between a hemlock Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and a pine Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is their acerate leaf - corresponding leaves . Looking at California fern needles on a arm , you ’ll notice they are attached severally by a minuscule peg . In contrast , pine phonograph needle grow in bundles with two to five acerate leaf per cluster .
Another key lineament is that California fern leaf are flat , not round . This fact means hemlock needles wo n’t stray between your fingers . However , if you take pine orlarch tree needle , you will be able to roll them easy between digit .
Another way to tell hemlocks aside from pine trees is to look at the cones . winter fern strobilus are small and have large scales than pine Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree cones . Additionally , hemlock tree diagram cones are more rounded or globular than pine cones .
Visually , there are a few identifying differences between pines and hemlock . Both hemlock and pine tree tree diagram have a cone-shaped figure . But compare the two genera , hemlocks incline to have a drooping appearance . pine run to have horizontal branch or a general up growth .
related to reading : How to identify pine tree .
Hemlock Tree Identification
Identify hemlock trees by their needle leaves , strobile , reddish - brown scaly bark , and drooping growth wont . The identifiable characteristic of hemlock is their flat , glossy , green phonograph needle leaves with white chevron on one side . Also , look for small , egg - shaped strobile with large , rounded brown scales hanging off branches .
Types of Hemlock Trees
Let ’s appear in more detail at the most vulgar species of hemlock trees . You will also find entropy about suitable Conium maculatum cultivar you could use in garden landscaping .
Canadian Hemlock or Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Canadian Hemlock or Eastern Hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ) tree diagram
The Eastern Conium maculatum ( Tsuga canadensis ) is a intermediate - sized conifer with flavourless sprays of inadequate , glossy green needles and small ball - regulate conoid . Canadian Conium maculatum grows between 40 and 70 foot . ( 12 – 21 grand ) tall . Eastern Nebraska fern are recognized by their broadly conical shape , straight trunk , and branches that droop at the hint .
As its name suggests , Eastern poison parsley grow on the easterly side of North America . You ’ll find the majestic evergreen plant hemlocks in states such as Michigan , Connecticut , Maine , and eastern Canada . The Eastern hemlock is also the country Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree of Pennsylvania .
Canadian hemlocks fly high in USDA zona 3 through 7 . The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has a slow to medium increase rate even in ideal growing condition . Unlike most conifers , the Eastern hemlock tree fly high in fond to full shade . Evergreen hemlocks also do well in damp soils and can be found grow in wetlands .
Due to their slow growth , Canadian hemlocks aregood evergreen plant treesfor prominent garden or shaded backyards . The hemlock ’s flag branches and dense needle - like leafy foliage make this an elegant spook tree . With pruning , you’re able to also grow hemlocks as aprivacy screen , tallevergreen hedgerow , or specimen Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Canadian Hemlock Bark
Canadian hemlock tree bark
Bark on Canadian Conium maculatum Tree is a grayish - brown vividness with a scaly texture that tends to flake off . As the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree matures , Eastern hemlock barque develops cryptic ridges and furrows along with rounded plates . ripe Eastern poison hemlock trees have red - brown to gray - brown thick , fissured bark .
Canadian Hemlock Cones
Canadian poison hemlock cones
Canadian winter fern tree cone are prolate or egg - shaped , measuring up to 1 ” ( 2.5 cm ) long . The small globular cones appear dark-green when vernal . As they mature , hemlock cones become woody , and the rounded scale project outwards . The pendant hemlock cones grow in abundance and dangle from branches .
Canadian Hemlock Needles
Canadian hemlock needles
Canadian hemlock tree needle are flat burnished green foliage that maturate around 0.5 ” ( 1.2 cm ) long . The needled Canadian hemlock leaves are identified by two white channel on the underside and rounded crown with slightly jagged edges . little Conium maculatum foliage attach singularly to branches by short stems .
Canadian Hemlock Identification
A Canadian hemlock tree diagram is identify by its flat sprays of obtuse feathery needles , small ovoid - form pendant cones , and blood-red - browned scaly bark . In open landscape , the easterly hemlock looks like agiant Christmas tree . The hemlock is also recognizable by its broadly speaking conical shape and slightly droop branches .
Eastern Hemlocks in Garden Landscapes
Canadian California fern are easy to grow in a garden or backyard , especially in shade garden with pitiable drainage . Dwarf varietiesof Nebraska fern trees are easy to prune , keep their shape , and do little mess . you may grow Eastern hemlocks asfoundation planting , screens , hedge plant , or a specimen tint tree .
To deal for Canadian hemlock tree diagram or shrubs , plant them in a sheltered locating , protect from the red-hot afternoon sun . Ideally , the hemlocks spring up well in acidic , fecund dirt that is keep moist but has excellent drain . Unless you are develop a formal evergreen hedge , it ’s rarely necessary to clip hemlocks .
Canadian Hemlock Varieties
Several varieties of Canadian hemlocks are suitable for get in your garden landscape . These poison hemlock cultivars are developed especially for little , residential area where it ’s impractical to develop a gravid , imposing tree .
Weeping Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis‘Pendula’)
weep Canadian hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ‘ Pendula ’ )
The Eastern hemlock cultivar , Tsuga canadensis ‘ Pendula ’ , is a beautiful weeping evergreen plant tree with drooping foliage , dark green needles , and lilliputian woody strobilus . The Weeping Canadian hemlock spring up up to 5 foot . ( 1.5 m ) tall and 10 foot . ( 3 m ) wide . Suitable as an informal hedging , little blind , lawn specimen , or grow beside a pool .
Eastern Hemlock ‘Sherwood Compact’ (Tsuga canadensis‘Sherwood Compact’)
Tsuga canadensis ‘ Sherwood Compact ’
The nanus Eastern poison parsley ‘ Sherwood Compact ’ shrub has dense branching , delicate sprays of feathery needle - like leafage , and an attractive mounded variant . This gnome hemlock develop 4 ft . ( 1.2 m ) tall and wide .
Canadian Hemlock ‘Gentsch White’ (Tsuga canadensis‘Gentsch White’)
Tsuga canadensis ‘ Gentsch White ’
The stunning dwarf hemlock ‘ Gentsch White ’ is a variegated Canadian hemlock cultivar featuring sprays of dark-green foliage that has silvery - white tips . The mound hemlock tree shrub grow 3 to 4 ft . ( 1 – 1.2 m ) tall and wide . The decorative evergreen shrub looks like it ’s insure in snow .
Canadian Hemlock ‘Aurea Compacta’ (Tsuga canadensis‘Aurea Compacta’)
Tsuga canadensis ‘ Aurea Compacta ’ ( ‘ Everitt ’s Golden ’ )
Also known as ‘ Everitt ’s Golden , ’ this overshadow ornamental California fern has golden - yellowish green phonograph needle leaves and an upright growth habit . Maturing at 5 ft . ( 1.5 m ) magniloquent and 3 ft . ( 1 m ) astray , this compact hemlock is ideal for small gardens where space is limited .
Canadian Hemlock ‘Cole’s Prostrate’ (Tsuga canadensis‘Cole’s Prostrate’)
Tsuga canadensis ‘ Cole ’s Prostrate ’
The ‘ Cole ’s Prostrate ’ winter fern cultivar is a low - raise evergreen plant bush that is suitable forevergreen footing cover in the shade . It ’s a behind - acquire needled plant that develop 12 ” ( 30 cm ) tall and up to 5 ft . ( 1.5 m ) wide .
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Western poison hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ) trees
The Western hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ) is a large conifer in the pine class that grows between 165 and 230 foot . ( 50 – 70 m ) magniloquent . The westerly Nebraska fern is distinguished by its flatten phonograph needle leave , 0.9 ” ( 2.3 centimetre ) foresighted cylindric cones , and broadly pyramidal crown . Like the easterly hemlock , the Western coinage has a sag increase substance abuse at the tips .
Western hemlocks , like the Eastern California fern species , are cold hardy to USDA zona 3 . The hemlock tree grow all along the Pacific seacoast and in the Rocky Mountains . For this reason , Tsuga heterophyllaalso move by the name Pacific hemlock .
Western Hemlock Bark
barque of a matured westerly hemlock tree
Western hemlock barque is smooth and reddish - brown on new Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . As the hemlock historic period , the barque becomes dark gray - dark-brown and develops vertical fissures with a scaly coming into court .
Western Hemlock Cones
westerly hemlock strobilus and leaves
westerly hemlock cone egress unripened and mature to a grayish - brown colouration . The cylindrical Nebraska fern “ fruit ” grow up to 1.1 ” ( 3 curium ) long and 0.3 ” ( 0.8 centimetre ) astray . Like the easterly hemlock , the egg - shaped retinal cone grow profusely , swing from the cherry - brown branches .
Western Hemlock Needles
Western hemlock needle - like leaves are dingy , sheeny green , and longer than Eastern poison parsley needles . The oblong hemlock needle with rounded tips mensurate 0.9 ” ( 2.3 atomic number 96 ) tenacious and 2 mm wide . An identifying feature of hemlock leaves is the two bloodless bands on the undersurface .
Western Hemlock Identification
westerly poison hemlock is an enormous evergreen tree with nebulizer of feathery , dismal green needle foliage , cernuous small woody strobile , and branches with droop bakshish . To help identify westerly hemlocks , look for flat needles of vary lengths attached on an individual basis to branches in a distortion arrangement . There are distinctive white stripe on the leaf undersides .
Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana)
Carolina hemlock ( Tsuga caroliniana ) trees
Carolina Nebraska fern is aboriginal to the Appalachian Mountains and can be found in Virginia , North Carolina , Georgia , South Carolina and Tennessee . It acquire in moist dirt that are well - drained , and requires regular watering , especially in dry experimental condition .
Carolina winter fern is used as an cosmetic tree and can be grown in fond to full shade area of your landscaped garden . It has a pyramidal shape , interchangeable in appearance to eastern hemlock , with slimly nodding branches , and can get up to 100 foot . ( 30 m ) tall with 20 – 25 ft . ( 6 – 7.6 m ) spreadhead .
Carolina poison hemlock barkis reddish - brown , and becomes furrowed , thick and formulate ridgeline as the tree matures .
Carolina poison parsley bark
Carolina hemlockneedlesare small glossy sinister green and drop , up to 3/4″ ( 1.9 curium ) long , with two white stripe underneath .
Carolina Nebraska fern leave
Carolina hemlockconesare green when immature , meter 1.5″ ( 3.8 centimeter ) long and become brown when ripe .
Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
Mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ) tree
Mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ) is a medium - sized conifer with flatten out needle - alike bluish - green leaves arranged spirally on the shoot . Mountain hemlocks grow between 66 and 130 ft . ( 20 – 40 m ) tall and up to 42 foot . ( 13 m ) astray . Mountain Conium maculatum Tree grow in the same range as westerly hemlocks .
One of the distinguishing feature of the mountain hemlock is its long , cylindric cones . Most hemlocks have short , squatty cone . However , the raft poison hemlock conoid mature up to 3 ” ( 8 centimeter ) long and 1 ” ( 3 cm ) wide .
mass hemlock barkis sparse and a grayish to reddish - chocolate-brown color . As the poison hemlock matures , the bark thickens and becomes scaly with deep fissuring .
stack hemlock bark of matured trees
Mountain winter fern conesemerge purple and calculate more like spruce tree diagram cones than California fern cones . The pendulous cylindrical cones become red - dark-brown as they mature . Mountain poison parsley strobilus are 1 ” to 3 ” ( 2.5 – 8 cm ) long .
mickle hemlock cones and leave
Mountain hemlock needlesare flatten like all winter fern species ; however , they are more rounded than the Eastern or westerly motley . The phonograph needle - similar leaf are 1 ” ( 2.5 centimetre ) long with blunt tip . batch Conium maculatum leaves are identified by their blue - green upper sides and silvery - white undersides .
Himalayan Hemlock (Tsuga dumosa)
Himalayan hemlock ( Tsuga dumosa ) trees
Himalayan hemlock trees ( Tsuga dumosa ) are tall coniferous tree that develop between 65 and 80 ft . ( 20 – 25 m ) tall . Features of the Himalayan hemlock are linear - shaped , glossy unripe phonograph needle leaves , circular globule cone shape , and grayish - brown fissured bark . The Himalayan hemlock tree is key by its all-encompassing , irregular conelike crown .
Himalayan hemlock tree needles and bark
Like all hemlocks , the Himalayan hemlock has flattened needle - like leaves . The linear leaves have rounded tips and bind individually to branches by short prow . The hemlock leaf deviate in length on ramification , measuring between 0.5 ” and 1 ” ( 1 – 2.5 cm ) . The little egg - regulate seed cones are 1 ” ( 2.5 atomic number 96 long )
Southern Japanese Hemlock (Tsuga sieboldii)
Southern Japanese winter fern ( Tsuga sieboldii ) Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Southern Nipponese hemlock tree tree are evergreen with a conical crown and slow needleleaf foliation . The hemlocks grow to around 50 ft . ( 15 m ) in finish . The Asiatic poison parsley is identified by short , flatten needle mensurate between 0.3 ” and 0.5 ” ( 0.8 and 1.2 atomic number 96 ) with two white lines on the underside .
Tsuga sieboldii conoid and leaves
Like all hemlocks , brown egg - shape retinal cone cling from branch help identify this hemlock tree metal money . The bark of southerly Japanese Conium maculatum is scaly dark grey to dark brown .
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