Tsuga caroliniana – Cardina Hemlock – Hemlock –

Description

Tsuga – Hemlock – There are 8 to 11 elegant evergreen monoecious, coniferous conical to pyramidal medium to large trees in the Pinaceae family, in this genus.   They naturally occur in forest, 4 to 6 in Eastern Asia and 4 from North America.  They produce flattened, usually linear leaves, with elevated mid vein  beneath, are radially arranged or 2 ranked, and vary in length along the shoots.  The small egg-oblong to almost spherical, terminal, pale to mid brown female cones become pendent as they mature, similar to those of Picea and drop off in the 2^nd year, the male cones have few scales, and are almost spherical, up to 1/4″ across, and borne at the tips of lateral shoots.  The bark is scaly and deeply furrowed with color ranging from gray to brown.  Excellent specimen trees and very shade tolerant, especially when young, many are suitable for hedging.  Dwarf cultivars are all good for bonsai work and shady rock gardens.. Grow in humus rich, moist but well drained, acidic to slightly alkaline soil in full sun or partial shade.  They dislike urban environments or very exposed positions.  Trim hedges from early to late summer. Prone to gray mold (Botrytis), butt rot, rust, needle blights, snow blight, weevils, mites, aphids, and woolly adelgid. T. caroliniana – Cardina Hemlock -This conical or ovoid, twiggy tree from Southeastern USA , grows 50-130′ feet tall and 25-35′ feet wide. It has bark that is reddish -brown and becomes fissured with age. From shiny, red brown shoots with short hairs in the grooves, it carries round tipped, smooth edged, mid green leaves, up to 3/4″ long with paler undersides, are in 2 ranks, widely parted above, and somewhat irregular and sparse.  Ovoid to ellipsoid female cones are 1 1/2″ long. Zones 3-8