General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. Prefers cool, moist, humid conditions. Intolerant of drought and should be watered regularly in prolonged dry spells, particularly when young. Best sited in a location protected from strong winds.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Canadian or eastern hemlock is a pyramidal, evergreen conifer with a slender, nodding crown and spreading, drooping branchlets. Typically grows 40-70' tall in the wild. In cultivation, however, it is grown in a variety of other forms, one of the most popular of which is as a 3-5' tall clipped hedge (see the Kemper Center hedge in the Secret Garden). Flat, dark green needles to 1/2" long with two whitish bands of stomata underneath. Thimble-like, light brown cones to 3/4" long. Fissured, reddish-brown bark on mature trees (scaly on younger trees). No part of this tree is poisonous. The poisonous hemlocks (Cicuta maculata and Conium maculatum) are herbaceous perennials in the parsley family.
Problems:
A healthy tree in the proper environment has few problems. Potential disease problems include needle blight (needles turn yellow and die), canker and rust. Potential insect problems include bagworms, borers, leaf miners, saw fly and spider mites. Woolly adelgid (an aphid) is particularly troublesome in the Northeast where it can be fatal. Foliage may scorch in very hot weather. Prolonged drought can be fatal.
Uses:
Lawn specimen. Group. Screen or windbreak. Clipped hedge.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2009
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