Specimen record
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Conservation note
Severely threatened by hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Report infestations to the Massachusetts DCR. Do not transport branches from infested trees.
Description
A shade-tolerant evergreen conifer that forms dense, dark groves along streams and on north-facing slopes. Eastern hemlock creates a cool, humid microclimate beneath its canopy that supports unique plant and animal communities. It is currently under severe threat from the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect from East Asia that is decimating hemlock populations across New England.
Identification tips
- 1Short flat needles (8–15 mm) with two white stripes on the underside, attached by tiny stalks
- 2Very small cones (1.5–2.5 cm) hanging from branch tips
- 3Feathery, graceful branches with a drooping leader (top of tree nods to one side)
- 4Bark on mature trees deeply furrowed, reddish-brown to gray
- 5Look for woolly white masses on branch undersides (hemlock woolly adelgid infestation)
Specimen & preservation notes
Press branchlets with needles and cones attached. The flat needles press easily. Include a close-up photo of the two white bands on the needle underside. If woolly adelgid is present, note this on the label but do not transport infested material to new areas.
Collection calendar
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Collection notes
Season check
No flowering records for this species yet.
Flowering records: 0 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 1015 observations within 25 km