Mountain Hemlock
Tsuga mertensiana
Mountain hemlock thrives where deep, persistent snowpack buries young trees for much of the year, emerging at treeline as a slow, hardy conifer with soft blue-green needles arranged all around the twig rather than in flat rows like its lowland relative.
Where found
High-elevation subalpine forests near timberline throughout the Cascades, Olympics, and coastal ranges from Alaska to California.
Fun facts
- Needles radiate around the twig in all directions, unlike western hemlock's flat, two-ranked needles.
- Seedlings can spend months buried under snowpack each year and still survive.
- Its long, cylindrical cones are among the largest of any hemlock species.
Specs
| Height | 10–30 m (stunted at timberline) |
|---|---|
| Spread | 4–8 m |
| Lifespan | 400–800 yrs |
| Growth Rate | Very slow |
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Native Range | Southern Alaska to central California, high Cascades and Rockies |
