If one tree were to be selected as having more uses on the home grounds than any other, I am certain hemlock would be nearly a unanimous choice.
The hemlocks are evergreens with small, half-inch-long needles usually borne in flat sprays.
Most are trees reaching a height of 100′ feet and, like most cone-bearing trees, are pyramidal in form.
Unlike most cone-bearing trees, however, hemlocks are extremely graceful, with almost pendulous branches that sway in the slightest breeze.
Hemlock Hedge
Hemlocks, valued for their winter color and textural contrast in summer, make fine specimen trees and their ability to withstand pruning adapts them perfectly for a clipped hedge.
Hedges over 50 years old that have been constantly pruned to a height of 4′ feet are frequently seen in good condition. They do not have to be sheared to a formal line each year.
Allow graceful shoots to develop for a year or two informally. Then shear them off to the height you wish to maintain the hedge, and allow graceful long shoots to develop again.
Because hemlocks are so dense, they are excellent for screening purposes.
But sometimes, when they grow in very good soil, the branches elongate rapidly and must be returned to force dense growth close to the trunk.
Provide Sufficient Moisture
Since hemlocks prefer acid soil and require plenty of moisture, they do not grow in the drought areas of the country.
There are several native species, but the Carolina hemlock and the Canada hemlock do well on the East and Pacific Coasts, where there is enough moisture.
The Canada hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is the most frequently found species in cultivation. It will grow in the sun or filtered shade and is hardy in southern Canada.
Wide varieties of Canada hemlock have been found and named—mostly dwarf types that make excellent specimens in the rock garden.
These must be propagated asexually, but the species itself is easiest propagated by seeds that are borne in profuse small cones in late fall.
44659 by Donald Wyman