Mountain Hemlock, Black Hemlock, Hemlock Spruce

In his book "Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest", Art Kruckeberg states that Mountain Hemlock is the conifer that he w...Read Moreould most recommend for a small garden in the region. I couldn't agree more. This is one of my favorite plants, native or otherwise. It's relatively thin and slow-growing, with light blue/green needles and (eventually) very showy blue cones. It's native at 4,000-7,000 feet in the Cascades (it's the dominant conifer around the rim of Crater Lake) and will grow to 90' in this habitat. In low-elevation gardens, it'll max out at closer to 20-30', which makes it so useful in urban and suburban landscapes. It can tolerate full sun, but supposedly does best if hot afternoon sun is limited (mine gets shaded by a fence at about 3 pm). It has some drought tolerance (via associations with mycorrhizal fungi) but will also tolerate garden conditions, as long as you stay away from fertilizer/manure/compost. Mulch instead.

Back to the slow-growing point, it's REALLY slow. I've read that seedlings grow something like 1/2" per year. Thus, you are unlikely to find one-gallon specimens at the local nursery (or any nursery). As explained in the previous comment, individuals are harvested from the mountains and five-gallon plants can be had for $50 or so. If properly mulched with bark chips from mycorrhizally-associated trees, you can expect about 4" of yearly growth from a 5-gallon (3-4') hemlock. Growth rate reportedly increases with age.

I would not try this plant east of the Cascade or Sierra Nevada ranges. Mountain Hemlock have shallow root systems and need either mild winters or copious winter snowpack to protect the roots from the cold. If you plant one in Ontario or North Dakota, the roots will likely freeze. In warmer areas east of the Rockies, the lack of mycorrhizae in the soil will likely stunt their growth somewhat.

Very nice native, slow growing. I have been advised that this tree has been heavily poached in the Pacific Northwest. To protect the sp...Read Moreecies, only a certain number of seedlings/young trees are allowed to be harvested from the wild. If you are purchasing a mountain hemlock, you should be sure it has a Forest Service metal tag which indicates it was legally obtained. Just an FYI.