Tsuga canadensis (Canada hemlock)

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Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière

Canada hemlock, Eastern hemlock, hemlock spruce

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Coniferophyta	Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs)
Class	Pinopsida	Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews
Order	Pinales	Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others
Family	Pinaceae	Pine family: cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces
Genus	Tsuga	From a Japanese name for their native hemlocks
Species	canadensis	“Of or referring to Canada”

About plant names...

Canada hemlock is native to eastern North America. Hemlocks live up to 800 years. Many cultivated varieties have been developed. These trees are under attack by hemlock woolly adelgids (Adelges tsugae), aphidlike insects first seen in North America in 1924. Although the insects themselves are black, they are nearly invisible; the infestation is visible from their white nests, as shown in some of the photos here.

Identification: Trees are pyramidal, 60-70' (18-21 m) high, with a maximum recorded height of 159' (48 m). They favor moist, well drained soils. The bark is initially smooth, becoming flaky and scaly over time. Eventually it forms wide flat ridges. Individual needles are flat, about ½" (1.3 cm) long, glossy green on top, silvery gray beneath. The needles feel soft and have blunt tips. Male flowers are small, round, and yellow. Female flowers are light green, appearing at branch tips. Both types of flowers are easy to miss. Cones are oval in shape, up to ¾" (1.9 cm) × ½" (1.3 cm).

References:

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 42

Online References:

The Gymnosperm Database

The Ohio State University PLANTFacts database

The USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America site

The Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

The University of Connecticut Plant Database

Infested with Adelges tsugae, hemlock woolly adelgid. · 4/21/2021 · Center Pond Preserve, Phippsburg, Maine
≈ 5 × 3" (12 × 8.4 cm)

7/23/2023 · The Mountain Trails, The Mountain Preserve, Belgrade Lakes Village, Maine

8/9/2012 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Big Tree Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 21 × 31" (52 × 78 cm)

8/13/2017 · Burges Pond, Westford, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 10 cm)

10/7/2012 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

11/3/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts
≈ 10 × 7" (26 × 17 cm)

This hemlock is infested with hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). You can see two of the tiny black insects in this close-up. · 7/6/2012 · Littleton, Massachusetts

11/22/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

6/21/2017 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 3" (9.1 × 7.9 cm)

10/3/2010 · Dingmans Falls, Dingmans Ferry, Delaware Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania

9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)

8/20/2009 · Hayes Woods Nature Trail, Shirley St., Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm)

Tsuga canadensis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 17 Aug 2021.

Woolly adelgid has infested this tree, the white patches at lower right. · 8/13/2017 · Burges Pond, Westford, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

4/27/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

8/20/2009 · Hayes Woods Nature Trail, Shirley St., Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 12" (20 × 31 cm)

Happy springtime growth. · 6/5/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

Infested with woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). · 5/7/2023 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine

A fallen branch, with itsy-bitsy baby cones. · 5/15/2016 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts

Spring growth · 6/3/2018 · Mt. Watatic, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

4/16/2016 · Jason’s Cutoff/Nichols Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

This hemlock is infested with hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). · 7/29/2023 · Littleton, Massachusetts

This hemlock is infested with hemlock woolly adelgid (pronounced a-DEL-jid) (Adelges tsugae). · 5/14/2016 · Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 2½" (6.5 × 7.1 cm)

7/31/2018 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 10 cm)

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

9/24/2010 · Nissitissit River Wildlife Management Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 17 cm)

This hemlock is infested with hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). · 7/29/2023 · Littleton, Massachusetts

4/22/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 5 × 4½" (13 × 12 cm)

Range: Zones 3-7:

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