Trees Planet: Tsuga canadensis

Friday, August 10, 2018

Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock

General Information

Common Name	Eastern Hemlock
Scientific Name	*Tsuga canadensis*
Sun Tolerance	Full Sun
Height	up to 53 m (176 ft)
Spread	10 - 15 m (33 - 50 ft)
Growth Rate	Fast
Bloom Time	Spring
Color	Green,
Flower Color	Yellow
Type	Tree
Native	USA, Europe.

Classification

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Coniferophyta – Conifers
Class	Pinopsida
Subclass
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae – Pine family
Genus	Tsuga – Hemlock
Species	T. canadensis

Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock

Tsuga Canadensis, commonly known as Eastern Hemlock also known as Canadian Hemlock is native to eastern North America. It is the State Tree of Pennsylvania.

The eastern Hemlock is a full sun large tree but young plant grows fast under the shade. It is a long living tree, the oldest recorded specimen, found in Tionesta, Pennsylvania, being at least 555 years old. It is also a large tree generally grows 31 m (102 ft) in height, but sometimes it grows up to 53 m (174 ft) in height. The trunks diameter at breast height is often 1.5 m (5 ft) but also some trees have been recorded up to 1.8 m (6 ft) in diameter. Generally the trunk is grows straight and monopodial, but rarely it can be forked. The crown is broadly conic, while the brownish bark is scaly and deeply fissured, especially when growing older. The twigs are yellow-brown color and with darker red-brown pulvinus. The buds are oval in shape and also very small, only 1.5 – 2.5 mm in length. These are not look like pitchy but may slightly look like same.

The leaves are typically 1.5 – 2.5 cm (0.6 – 1 in) in length. They are flanttened and are typically distichous, or two-ranked. The bottom part of the leaf is sea-blue with two plank and clearly visible stomatal bands, while the upper surfaces of the leaf color is a shiny green to yellow-green. The edges of the leaf are very slightly toothed, especially near the top.

The both sexes flowers are found in the same tree. The tree is monoecious, that is, male and female flowers are separate. Male flowers are small, round yellow cone shapes near the ends of branches. These male cones have globular pollen packets and are mounted on a short green stalk. Male flowers form conelets in April to early June, and release pollen for up to six weeks. The female cones are oval in shape and typically measure 1.5 – 2.5 cm (0.6 – 1 in) in length and 7 – 10 mm in width. The scales are ovate to cuneate in shape and 8 – 10 mm in length are 1 – 1.5 cm in width. The edge is more or less rounded and is often projected outward. Twenty-four diploid chromosomes are present within the trees. The female conelets have also developed in April to early June, with two ovules present on each cone scale, opening to receive pollen at about the same time that the male cones begin to produce it. After the pollination period, the female cones mature and develop until the autumn, and seed dispersal typically begins in mid-October and continues into the winter.

The wood of Eastern Hemlock is brittle and full of knots, thus not valuable for anything but rough wood needs. An extract of Hemlock bark was once a commercial source of tannin for the production of leather and that use led to the destruction of many mature stands of the tree. Other than the bark, the remainder was discarded. The leafy twigs uses to make of Hemlock Tea. It is plant as an ornamental plant in garden, park or road side. T. Canadensis also commercially plant for Christmas tree.