Tsuga canadensis , also get it on as eastern hemlock , eastern hemlock - spruce , or Canadian hemlock , and in the French - address regions of Canada as pruche du Canada , is a cone-bearing tree aboriginal to eastern and central Canada and the United States . It is the United States Department of State tree of Pennsylvania .

In the United States , eastern California fern occurs throughout New England , the mid - Atlantic states , and the Lake States , and extend south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and Alabama and Mae West from the mountains into Indiana , westerly Ohio , and westerly Kentucky . In Canada , it is found in the eastern province , particularly in Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , Ontario ( southerly and eastern part ) , and Quebec ( south of the St. Lawrence River ) .

Eastern Conium maculatum occurs as a predominant or codominant in cone-bearing and mixed - hardwood forests . It is often the only conifer present in motley mesophytic timberland of the eastern United States . Generally the Tree thrive in cool , humid climates and are often determine in valleys , along streams , or on north - face slopes where the environs remains moist .

Mature Eastern Hemlocks can reach heights of 60 to 70 metrical foot , though some can raise much improbable under ideal experimental condition . Exceptional specimens have been know to reach up to 100 feet or more . The bole diameter at breast height ( DBH ) can range from 2 to 4 feet , with some quondam trees have diam exceeding this reach .

The needles are flat , short , and somewhat blunt at the point . They are arranged spirally around the twig but often appear to be in two rows . The acerate leaf are a dour green color . The needles are gentle to the touch , not sharp or setaceous like some conifers . When crushed , the needle let go a pleasant , more or less resinous olfactory property , typical of coniferous tree . Like all evergreen plant , they do shake off older needles , usually in late summer or former autumn , but this sloughing is not as noticeable as deciduous tree foliage dip .

The barque is generally a reddish - brown to grey - brown color . It ’s scaly and jolly rough to the touch , with lean , flat scales that peel away in lowly , irregular patches . As the tree ages , the bark becomes more furrowed and thick . On mature tree , the bark can become quite dense .

The cone are minuscule , ovoid , and more or less elongated . When new , the cones are a pale green to yellowish - green , turning brown as they mature . Each cone is made up of numerous thin , papery scales that are labialize at the tips . These scales are slightly curved back at maturity date . Each ordered series contains two modest winged seeds . These seed are quite tiny with the wings .

Eastern Hemlocks are monoecious , meaning they have both manful ( pollen - bring forth ) and distaff ( seed - producing ) cones on the same tree . Pollination occurs in recent wintertime to former spring , with pollen being dispersed by nothingness . The cones take about six months to maturate from pollination to cum release , which typically materialise in the free fall of the same year .

Eastern Hemlocks have a shallow , widespread root scheme . The ascendant spread out horizontally rather than deeply penetrating the soil . They also develop a web of fine , fibrous roots which are efficient at absorbing water and nutrients from the surface soil .

Eastern Hemlocks are see to have a slow to average growth rate . In their first few decade , they might grow about 1 to 1.5 foot per year if conditions are friendly , like in rich , damp ground with unspoiled shade or partial tint . As they age , this rate retard down . Mature trees might only add a few column inch to a foot in superlative each year .

Some trees have been known to live for 400 - 500 years , with exceptional somebody peradventure reaching up to 800 years or more in ideal conditions , although this is rarefied due to various environmental stressors and diseases .

Factors Affecting Growth

Distribution

Habitat Preferences

Eastern Hemlocks prefer cool , humid climates . They are often found in :

Interesting Facts About Eastern Hemlock

Cultivation

Site Selection

Planting

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Pest and Disease Management