Tsuga heterophylla

Western Hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla )

The Western Hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ), also known as the Western Hemlock, is a species of the genus hemlock ( Tsuga ) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ).

Dissemination

The Western Hemlock is native to the west coast of North America, where it is spread from Alaska to northern California. It is hardy in Central Europe and is grown here in the forest trial cultivation.

The Western Hemlock is the " state tree " of the U.S. state of Washington. (see: List of State Trees of the states in the United States)

Description

The Western Hemlock is the largest of hemlock species. It is an evergreen tree. In the preferred areas of its range, in the Olympic Mountains, reaching heights of growth over 70 meters. In the British Isles it reaches at least another 50 meters Height. On preferred floors, the Western Hemlock is very fast growing and has an annual growth of more than 1 meter. The tree crown is conical and narrow when young tree, at the age broadening to. The main trunk is clearly overhanging. The bark is gray-brown. The bark of the branches is yellow-brown and finely hairy. The needles are parted on both sides of the branch; they are in the upper row is about 0.6 cm in the lower row, however, 1.5 to 1.8 cm long. This diversity of the needles due heterophylla the scientific names of species. The needles are initially bright green and dull, later dark green and shiny.

The Western Hemlock is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The cones are 2-3 cm long and dull ovate.

Use

The Western Hemlock provides a light brown wood with straight grain and more even structure. The annual rings come not forth so clearly as in the Canadian Tsuga, which belongs to the same genus. The wood dries very slowly, so that drying damage can easily occur. Dried wood is, however, very stable. It is one of the lightest softwoods in the trade and is considered to be more resistant than the wood of spruce. It is used among other things as lumber, for crates, plywood and paper processing.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Tsuga heterophylla. In: The Gymnosperm Database. March 20, 2011, accessed on 20 October 2011 ( English, Description section ).