Western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla, is native to the west coast of North America, with a northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and a southeastern limit in California.
The image is of an approximately two-year-old seedling from British Columbia, Canada. Once established, saplings in full light may have up to an average growth rate of 45” annually. The tallest tree on record is over 270 ft tall and is in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California. The species is long-lived, with trees over 1,200-year-old known.
Western Hemlock is a very shade tolerant tree and young trees typically grow up under the canopy of other conifers. It forms mycorrhizal associations with some well-known fungi such as chanterelles.
