Carolina hemlock
Tsuga caroliniana
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
An evergreen pine tree. It grows 20 m high. The tree is broadly cone shaped. The bark is red-brown and furrowed. Ridges develop with age. The leaves are narrow and 2 cm long. They are dark green above and have 2 white bands underneath. The male and female flowers are in separate clusters. They are both brown and the male ones are below the shoot while female ones are at the tip. The fruit is a pale brown hanging cone. It is 2.5 cm long.
There are 10 or 11 Tsuga species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally on mountain slopes in the S.E. United States. It grows between 760-1,200 m altitude. It cannot tolerate fire.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, North America, USA
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves for tea
How it is grown
It can be grown from seed. Seedlings are slow to establish. It can also be grown from cuttings.