Tsuga canadensis
Canadian (Eastern) Hemlock
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
40-70' tall & 25-35' wide in the landscape. Can reach 100-135' tall in nature. Pyramidal when young, then more pendulous-pyramidal. Quite attractive. Medium growth rate, 25-50' in 15-30 years. Long lived, commonly 300-400 years.
Native Range
Kentucky Native — Native to the NE U.S., including eastern Kentucky. Native from Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south along the mountains to Alabama & Georgia. It grows in those areas on moist slopes & woods, mountainsides, & other sites with good drainage. Introduced in 1736.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers are monoecious, male light yellow, female pale green, May-June. Fruits in slender, ovoid cones, stalked, hanging, 0.5-1" long, 0.25-0.5" broad, brown at maturity. Songbirds enjoy the cones and the evergreen sheltering from winter's cold. Fruits ripen in September & remain on tree into the winter.
Leaf and Bark Features
Evergreen: Fine-textured foliage. Needles are 2-ranked, linear, 1/4-2/3" long, 1/12-1/8" wide, lustrous dark green above, w/ 2 whitish glaucous bands beneath, toothed, w/ a short petiole. New spring growth is light yellow-green, changing to glossy, dark green. Young stems slender, gray-brown and hairy. Older bark is brown, flaky and scaly on young trees, changing to wide, flat ridges, heavily and deeply furrowed on old trees, red-brown to gray-brown..
Culture and Care
Transplants well, excellent for moist, well-drained, acid soils, rocky bluffs and sandy soil. Needs pH 4.6-6.5. Thrives in shade buts does not tolerate wind, extreme heat, drought, heavy clay, soil compaction, flooding or de-icing salt. Zones 3-7. Mulching w/ an organic mulch will be beneficial. Tolerates deer, heavy shade & juglone in soil from nearby walnut trees. Susceptible to drought injury. In prolonged periods of dryness, may die. Leaf blight, cankers, spider mites, sawfly, borers, bagworms, gypsy moth and many more. Woolly adelgid is the most significant liability, once it has moved into an area.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter. Not recommended for city conditions or heavy clay soils. Purplish streaks appear when branches or trunk are cut.
Suggested Uses
An extremely graceful evergreen, excellent in screenings and groupings, accent plant and foundation planting. Shorter cultivars can be used as specimens or as a hedge.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Tsuga canadensis 'Albospica' // White Tipped Canadian (Eastern) Hemlock
Tree. A conical form that gets 8-25' tall and 5-15' wide. The otherwise dark green foliage is variegated with white branch tips. It may be grown as a shrub or small tree. When grown as a shrub, it has a broad-upright habit, usually 6-12' tall and 5-8' wide. Slow grower, 6-10"/year. Tree forms may get 25' tall and 15' wide. Zone 4-8. Takes shade to part sun. This is a good variegated evergreen to bring brightness into a deeply shaded landscape area. Responds well to annual shearing to increase fullness; otherwise, has an open habit. Resistant to Verticillium wilt. Cultivated since 1866.
-- not currently in our collection --Tsuga canadensis 'Fantana' // Fantana Canadian (Eastern) Hemlock
Tree. A very compact, broad, bushy, dwarf hemlock, growing only 1-6" per year, with a dense, spreading form. Gets 2-6' tall & 3-6' wide after 10 years. Often stays as a flat plant, staying low instead of going up, but other times goes up to 6' then weeps down. Medium-to-dark-green in color. Prefers part shade and well-drained soil. Could be used in a rock garden. Found in New York in 1965 by P.F. Avogadro, a nurseryman of Bellmore. Zone 3(4)-7.
-- not currently in our collection --Tsuga canadensis 'Sargentii' // Sargentii Canadian (Eastern) Hemlock
Tree. A very showy, broad-spreading/weeping form, with a dense crown and an irregular outline, resembling a green, cascading waterfall, especially if planted near water. One of the most beautiful conifers. Average mature size 10-15' tall and 20-30' wide. Use as a single specimen, accent plant, or in a grouping. Also works in a container or above-ground planter. Could be kept trained/sheared as a hedge. Very eye-catching. Soft, green needles. The gently weeping branches reach to the ground. No proven urban tolerance. Tolerates deer, heavy shade and juglone from nearby walnut trees. Zone 4-7. Also known as 'Pendula'.
BT000370