Scientific Name:
Tsuga heterophylla
Pronunciation:
SOO-guh het-ur-oh-FILL-uh
Common Name:
western hemlock
Family Name:
Pinaceae
Plant Type:
Conifer
Key ID Features:
Tree top leader 'nods' and droops to one side; twigs yellow-brown, finely pubescent; needles mostly appearing 2-ranked, flat, linear, most 5-20mm long x 1-2mm wide; apex rounded, margins minutely dentate; undersides with 2 white broad stomatal lines; seed cones ovoid, most 1.5-2.5cm long x 1-2.5cm wide. Conifers.org
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Pyramidal - widely
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
> 30m
Mature Spread:
15 - 25m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
B.C. west of Cascades, U.S. - northwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Forestry, Hedge row, Reclamation, Sheared hedge, Specimen plant, Tall background
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown include T. 'Thorsen's Weeping'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Needle-like
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, 2 white stomatal bands on underside.
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Entire, Serrulate
Additional Info:
0.6-2cm long, length varies on same twig; flat, blunt tip, on thin petiole. Appear to be in 2 ranks along twigs.
Inflorescence Type:
n/a (male cone)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Colour (petals):
Male cone, Yellow, Brown
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Mar, Apr
Fruit Type:
Cone (winged seeds)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark Morphology:
Plated, Moderately fissured, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae
Propagation:
Seed
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Blight or needle cast, Caterpillar or cutworm, Dieback, Mistletoe, Mites, Root rot, Rust, Scale insects
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- AARB 1012
- HORT 1155
- Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (NRY) NuRserY
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLN) Turf Field Lab North
- (WDH) Wark-Dumais House