plant · GBIF taxon 2687210
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophyllaAlso known as Pacific Hemlock, Western Hemlock-Spruce
Western hemlocks dominate the dense, mossy rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, easily recognized by their gracefully drooping top branches and flat, feathery sprays of needles. These massive conifers are exceptionally shade-tolerant, allowing seedlings to sprout on decaying nurse logs and grow slowly beneath a closed canopy for decades. Over centuries, they shape the forest structure, providing vital nesting habitat for northern spotted owls and winter shelter for herds of elk.
ConiferEvergreenShade-Tolerant
- diet
- Photosynthesis (sunlight, water, carbon dioxide)
- family
- Pinaceae
- threats
- Logging, hemlock dwarf mistletoe, hemlock woolly adelgid, climate change
- life Span
- 400 to 1200 years
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Identify by needles: Look for flat, glossy green needles of highly variable lengths arranged in flat sprays.
- Check the leader: Look at the very top of the tree, which characteristically droops like a whip.
- Examine the cones: Search the ground for tiny, egg-shaped woody cones measuring only two centimeters long.