A hemlock tree tree diagram , when refer to coniferous trees , belongs to the genus Tsuga in the pine kin ( Pinaceae ) . The English - oral communication common name “ hemlock ” arose from a perceived law of similarity in the olfactory perception of its crushed leafage to that of the unrelated plant poison Nebraska fern . Unlike the latter , Tsuga species are not vicious .
These tree diagram are native to North America and East Asia . In North America , they are often found in coolheaded , humid areas , especially in mountainous realm or along flow . They are common from Nova Scotia to northern Alabama and Georgia , and westward to Minnesota . From Alaska down through British Columbia , Washington , Oregon , into northerly California . They prefer well - drained , acidic soils but can adapt to a mixture of soil conditions .
hemlock are tall , evergreen tree that can turn to tiptop of 60 to 70 feet normally , with some metal money or individuals growing even taller under optimum conditions . hemlock are considered slow to restrained agriculturalist compare to some other tree diagram species . These tree diagram acquire at a temperate charge per unit when young , which can be about 1 to 1.5 feet per year under favorable atmospheric condition . However , as with many tree , the growth charge per unit slows as the tree diagram matures .
These trees can live for several C . Some tree diagram have been make love to live for 400 - 500 year , with prodigious individuals possibly reaching up to 800 years or more in idealistic conditions , although this is rarefied due to various environmental stressors and diseases .
Hemlock acerate leaf are stage singly along the sprig and are relatively unretentive about 1 column inch in duration . The needles are flat and have a blunt or slightly notched tip . They are generally soft to the touch , unlike the sharp needles of some other conifers . On top , the needles are a dark green , while the underside have two distinctive white-hot or light - color bands ( stomatous bands ) which give them a silvery visual aspect from below . The acerate leaf can remain on the tree diagram for several years before they fall .
hemlock tree barque is usually a reddish - brown to greyish - brownish color when mature . new trees or branches might have smoother , short - colored barque . On young trees or branches , the bark is relatively smooth but becomes deep furrowed and scaly or ridged as the tree diagram ages . These furrows can be quite marked , giving older trees a uncut , tough appearance .
The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree grow small , pendulous cones . The cone are relatively small compared to some other conifer cones . When young , the cone can be unripe or purplish , turning dark-brown as they mature . Cones mature in one season . By autumn , they open up to release source , and after seed dissemination , the cones might stay on on the tree for some time . Each shell of the cone shape protects two belittled fly seeds .
Historically , the barque of the Eastern Hemlock was used for tanning leather due to its mellow tannic acid content . Hemlocks are also used in landscaping to serve well as natural screens or hedges because of their dull leaf or as standalone cosmetic tree in garden and parking area . Due to their extensive root systems and ability to produce in various circumstance , hemlocks are sometimes planted to assist ascertain filth erosion on slope or along flow and riverbanks .
