Western Hemlock
November 9, 2022
By Adam Huggins
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla
- Hul’qumi’num Name: thq’iinlhp
- Description: Coniferous tree growing up to 60m tall. Bark is rough, furrowed and reddish-brown. Needles are blunt and vary in length, producing flat sprays. Recognizable by its drooping leader.
- Habitat: Can grow in dry-wet sites and is very shade tolerant. Often found growing on decaying wood or ‘nurse logs’.
- Pair with: Douglas-fir, evergreen huckleberry, salal, sword fern, false lily-of-the-valley, and western redcedar.
- Fun Fact: A climax species, the tallest known hemlock is over 73m tall and the oldest are around 1200 years old.
