Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

General Information Common Name  Western Hemlock Scientific Name  Tsuga heterophylla Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  up to 83 m (273 ft) Spread  10 - 15 m (33 - 50 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  Red Type  Tree Native  USA, Asia, 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. heterophylla

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla commonly known as Western Hemlock is also called by its botanical name of ‘tsuga’. It is a conifer of tranquility and gracefulness, whose light lace-work of innumerable pendent branch-lets, and pendent whip-like leader are making it increasingly well known in Europe. It was introduced by John Jeffrey in 1853 from the Pacific coast of North America. It is a large evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m (165–230 ft) tall, Sometime up to 83 m (273 ft), and with a trunk diameter of up to 2.7 m  (9 ft). It is the largest species of hemlock, with the next largest (Mountain hemlock, T. mertensiana) reaching a maximum of 59 m (194 ft).

The young shoots are tender, drooping at their ends, at first pale yellowish-brown, darkening to reddish-brown. The small buds are brown and ovoid. The irregular needles are 1 – 2 cm long, have almost a round tip and are spread in two ranks in one plane; the upper rank has the shorter needles. Their upper surface is dark green and grooved; their lower is lighter and has two brands of grey stomata on either side of a slight midrib. The new pale green needles which flush in June fringe the edges of all the branches, giving the tree its best appearance. When billowed by the wind the light, almost glaucous, underside of the foliage is exposed in mass. The foliage when crushed has and odor with a supposed resemblance to that of the hemlock plant – hence the name of the tree.

Both sexes of flowers are found on the same tree, but in different parts. The small globular crimson, then yellow male flowers lie at the bases of needles near the tips of shoots. The small females, at first green and later pink or purple, are scaly, and lie at the ends of short, erect twigs. These produce cones about 2 cm long that are egg-shaped and pendent. At first they are green and tinged with crimson; later they have pale brown rounded scales. Small winged seeds are released early in autumn. Empty cones persist on the tree for many months.

The bark is at first russet-brown and smooth except for fine scales. Later it becomes darker and deeply furrowed into scaly ridges. The trunk thickens abruptly at the base, and is somewhat fluted. The wood is pale yellow-brown with a somewhat darker heartwood, fairly strong and of a fine texture. It is used for joinery, box-making, paper pulp and many general purposes.

Forester’s value ‘tsuga’ as a fast producer of heavy volume of timber and as an important underplant – indeed it prefers dappled shade and is difficult to stablish on bare ground.

The Eastern Hemlock, T. Canadensis Carr., is slow-growing and useless as a timber-tree in Europe, but not infrequently planted for ornament.

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla Leaves

Leaves of Western Hemlock

Western Hemlock Leaves

Young Plant of Western Hemlock

Male Flowers of Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla Male Flowers

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock Male Flowers

Female Cone Western Hemlock Green & Mature

Mature Female Cone Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla Female Cones

Bark of Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla Bark

Log of Western Hemlock

Trunks of Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock as Ornamental Plant

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock

Video of Western Hemlock:

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar

General Information Common Name  Western Red Cedar, Arbor-vitae Scientific Name  Chamaecyparis leylandii Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  65 - 70 (213 - 230 ft) Spread  10 -15 m (33-50 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  Yellow Type  Tree Native  Africa, Asia, Europe, USA.

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Coniferophyta – Conifers Class  Pinopsida Subclass  Order  Pinales Family  Cupressaceae - Cypress Family Genus  Thuja Spach. –  Arobor Vitae Species  T. plicata

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata commonly known as Western Red Cedar also known as Arbor-vitae is native to western North America where it was the tree used by the Haida tribe of Red Indians for canoes and the carving of totem poles. It is fine and popular hedge-plant, but also plays an important role in silviculture, being well known as a tall fast growing tree with an erect leader and upward curving branches. When grown in the open it has a formal pyramidal habit, densely foliaged to the base. It is a large to very large tree, ranging up to 65 to 70 m (213 to 230 ft) tall and 3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft) in trunk diameter, exceptionally even larger. 

The spray-like foliage, which resembles the flattish fronds of a fern, surrounds the shoots so that no buds are visible and is made up of overlapping scale-like needles (more correctly, leaves) which are broad more so than Lawson Cypress) except those on the edges of shoots, which are narrow. The foliage is yellow-green to dark green, sometimes bronze on top, paler underneath. The shoots have a distinctive resinous, sweet fragrance when crushed. The individual leaves are 1 to 4 mm (0.039 to 0.157 in) long and 1 to 2 mm (0.039 to 0.079 in) broad on most foliage sprays, but up to 12 mm (0.47 in) long on strong-growing lead shoots.

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar

The Flowers of both sexes are found on the same tree. They are usually numerous and appear in March. The small oval dull crimson males turn yellow with pollen. The minute females have scales of pale green, tipped with black. The slender cone-lets develop into small upright green cones resembling a miniature Grecian urn about 1-2 cm tall, comprised of leathery scales which turn brown before separating close to their base thereby releasing the narrow-winged seeds in early Autumn.

The bark is thin, cinnamon-red on young stems. Later it turns to grey or brown, and when mature develops irregular shallow fissures which divide the bark into plates which are shed, exposing the red bark underneath. The sapwood is pale yellowish, The heartwood at first bright orange-brown, weathering to an attractive silver-grey. The wood is soft, light, and naturally durable – but under European climatic conditions exposed woodwork needs preservative surface treatment about every five years. It proves valuable for joinery, greenhouse and shed construction, bungalows, ladder poles, fencing and roofing shingles.

Thuja is a very popular hedge-plant and some of its varieties make fine ornamental trees. Silviculturists like it for its quick growth and heavy volume and for its suitability as a good under-plant. It is also very famous as Christmas Trees.

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar

Young plant of Western Red Cedar

Leaves of Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar Leaves

Thuja plicata Leaves

Male Flowers of Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata Male Flowers

Female Cones of Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata Female Cones

Mature Cones of Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata Mature Cones

Western Red Cedar Cones

Bark of Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata Bark

Trunk of Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata Trunk

Thuja plicata as Ornamental Plant

Western Red Cedar Ornamental Plants

Thuja plicata Ornamental Plants

Western Red Cedar as Christmas Trees

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar

Video of Western Red Cedar: