Topic summary
Western hemlock
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Tsuga heterophylla.
Description
Western hemlock is a large conifer growing to 50–70 metres (160–230 feet) tall, exceptionally 83 m (272 ft), and with a trunk diameter of up to 2.7 m (9 ft). It is the largest species of hemlock, with the next largest (T. mertensiana or mountain hemlock) reaching a maximum height of 59 m (194 ft). Western hemlock's bark is brown, thin, and furrowed (outwardly appearing similar to that of Douglas-fir). The crown is a very neat broad conic shape in young trees with a strongly drooping lead shoot, and becomes cylindrical in older trees, which may have no branches in the lowest 30–40 m (100–130 ft). At all ages, it is readily distinguished by the pendulous branchlet tips. The shoots are very pale buff-brown, almost white, with pale pubescence about 1 millimetre (1⁄32 in) long.