Family: Pinaceae, Pine view all from this family
Description The largest hemlock, with long, slender, often fluted trunk; narrow, conical crown of short, slender, horizontal or slightly drooping branches; and very slender, curved and drooping leader.
Height: 100-150' (30-46 m).
Diameter: 3-4' (0.9-1.2 m).
Needles: evergreen; spreading in 2 rows; 1/4-3/4" (6-19 mm) long. Flat, flexible, rounded at tip, very short-stalked. Shiny dark green above, with 2 broad, whitish bands and indistinct green edges, often with tiny teeth beneath.
Bark: reddish-brown to gray-brown, thick, deeply furrowed into broad, scaly ridges; cut surface of inner bark red.
Twigs: very slender, yellow-brown, finely hairy, rough with peglike bases.
Cones: 3/4-1" (2-2.5 cm) long; elliptical, brown, stalkless; with many rounded, elliptical cone-scales; hanging down at ends of twigs; paired, long-winged seeds.
Habitat Moist, acid soils, especially flats and lower slopes; in dense pure stands and with Sitka Spruce and other conifers.
Range S. Alaska southeast along Pacific Coast to NW. California; also SE. British Columbia south in Rocky Mountains to N. Idaho and NW. Montana; to 2000' (610 m) along coast; to 6000' (1,829 m) inland.
Discussion Western Hemlock is one of the most common trees in the Pacific Northwest, forming vast, dense groves. This important timber species is one of the best pulpwoods and a source of alpha cellulose for making cellophane, rayon yarns, and plastics. Indians of southeastern Alaska used to make coarse bread from the inner bark.
