Tsuga heterophylla
Western hemlock · also Western hemlock-spruce, British Columbia hemlock, West coast hemlock
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Western hemlock is a tall, long-lived conifer with straight trunks covered in reddish-brown bark and drooping branches. Its short, flat needles are dark green and shiny. It is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing as an understory tree in forests and is valued for timber and its edible cambium.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 3510.19%—20 in
- 1900.26%8.8 yr2.0 in
- 1330.84%3.0 yr0.8 in
- 360.01%57 yr9.8 in
- 360.10%—6.5 in
- 150.00%—2.5 in
- 70.01%3.3 yr30 in
- 60.00%—6.0 in
Traits
- Form
- Conifer
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 50–250 ft
- Canopy spread
- 20–30 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water needs
- High
- Wildlife value
- High
- Tolerates
- coastal
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 10 in, mean 14 in, 90th percentile 31 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Conifer Forests
- Alberta-British Columbia foothills forests
- British Columbia coastal conifer forests
- Central British Columbia Mountain forests
- Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
- Northern California coastal forests
- Northern Pacific Alaskan coastal forests
- Northern Rockies conifer forests
Other Tsuga in the catalogue
8 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
