Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock)


Western hemlock cone


tWestern hemlock



Western hemlock leaves

Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock)

Pronunciation: SOO-guh het-ur-oh-FILL-uh

Family: Pinaceae
Plant type: Conifer
Zone: 5 (-29 to - 23 C)
Origin: BC west of Cascades, US northwest
……..
Mature size
  Height: >30 m
  Spread: 10 - 15 m
Form: Pyramidal - widely 
Texture: fine
Habit: stiffly upright
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Leaves
Arrangement: needle - like alternate
Shape: acicular
Size: 0.6 - 2 cm long
Margin: entire
Characteristics: soft flexible, glabrous, lustrous, rounded
Colour: green
………
Flowers
Inflorescence type: n/a male cone
Colour: yellow
Size: 0.5 - 1.5 cm
Time: April, May
………
Stem
Colour: grey, brown
Description: Bark, deeply fissured
………
Fruit type: cone winged seed
Colour: brown
Time: Sept, Oct
........

Exposure, full sun, part sun, part shade
Preferred soil, acidic, well drained
Landscape uses, forestry, hedge row, reclamation, sheared hedge, specimen plant, tall background
Propagation, seed
Comments, has no relation to the poisonous plant, hemlock, that was used to trick Socrates 
 - if bark is turned into powder, it can be used in shoes to eliminate foot odor 
 -  Native Americans used its inner bark raw or cooked and dried and ground into powder to be mixed with cereal flour for bread, or to thicken soups and stews. The inner bark was harvested in spring and dried for winter use when food was scarce. The leaves and twigs of the Western Hemlock yield an oil known as “spruce oil” which is used commercially to flavour chewing gum, ice-cream and soft drinks - http://herbs-treatandtaste.blogspot.ca/

Pests , die back, mites, root rot, scale insects, mistletoe, adelgid

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