Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla
A graceful, shade-loving conifer with a nodding leader and lacy, feathery foliage, dominant in the wet old-growth. Washington's state tree and a quiet giant of the understory. The inner bark was a staple food for some coastal peoples, and the leaves and twigs flavor tea and, commercially, chewing gum.
- Family
- Pinaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 170–170 ft
- Spacing
- 20–30 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic
- Bloom
- April
- Bloom colors
- purple
- Wildlife value
- songbirds, mammals
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~92 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- hedge or screen
- Native states
- AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA