Eastern hemlock, Canadian Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
An evergreen tree. It grows 15-25 m tall and spreads to 6-9 m across. The trunk can be 1 m across. It is conical shape. The bark is scaly when young and becomes deeply furrowed. The leaves are dark green. They have silver lines underneath. The leaves are like needles and are slightly tapered. They are flat and have fine teeth. They are 10-20 mm long. The upper surface is shiny green and grooved. The needles are clearly arranged in two ranks. There are a few shorter ones on the upper side. The cones are oval and light brown. They are 2.5 cm long. The twigs are arranged in flat sprays and are yellowish brown. The seed cones are oval and 12-20 mm long. They are purplish-brown. They are pointed. Cones open in autumn and shed their seed later in the autumn. Cones remain on the tree into the following season.
There are 10 or 11 Tsuga species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally on hilly or rocky woods in eastern North America. It is frost hardy. It grows on a variety of soils. It needs a cool moist site. It is very shade tolerant. It suits hardiness zones 4-9.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, North America, Slovenia, USA
How it is used for food
The inner bark was baked and eaten. The young tips are used for tea. They are also added to root beer and spruce beer. The young leaves and twigs are the source of an oil used to flavour chewing gum, ice cream, soft drinks and candy. They are also mixed with maple syrup.
Edible parts
Leaves - tea, bark, leaves - oil
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed. They can also be grown from cuttings of mature wood.
Trees can live for 600 years.
Its other names
Local names
Hemlock spruce, Kanadska čuga, Spruce pine