Get to know this plant.
Identification clue 1
Needles spread around the twig
Identification clue 2
Two pale underside bands
Identification clue 3
Larger cones than eastern hemlock
Read the leaves
Inspect the whole twig from the end: needles tend to radiate more around it than eastern hemlock's flat-looking sprays.
More growing details
Read the bark
Mature bark becomes thick, dark, and furrowed.
Fruit & seed
Cones are larger than eastern hemlock's and their scales spread noticeably when open.
Winter character
Evergreen foliage and cone scale shape remain available; rocky habitat is supporting context.
Origin & place
The species occurs naturally in the southern Appalachian region; a planted specimen is not evidence of wild local origin.
Compare with Eastern hemlock
Eastern hemlock generally has shorter needles in a flatter spray and smaller cones.
WNC Notes
Rare regional native for rocky drained sites; also susceptible to hemlock woolly adelgid.
Sun Exposure
Part sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
30–60
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
20–30
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Evergreen
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Low–moderate
Drought Tolerance
Moderate