Pacific hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
shade
Water
medium
Size
1200"–2400" H × 300"–420" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
CA, ID, MT, OR and 1 more states
Pollinators
wind pollinated
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaThis hemlock is a large, shade-tolerant evergreen conifer with short, flat needles of uneven length and a graceful, drooping leader. It grows in coniferous forest, often regenerating in deep shade beneath other trees.
Wildlife value
As a wind-pollinated conifer it offers little to pollinators, but its dense, layered branches provide important cover and nesting habitat for forest birds.
Common questions
- How much sun does Pacific hemlock need?
- Pacific hemlock grows best in shade conditions.
- When does Pacific hemlock bloom?
- Pacific hemlock blooms in April and May.
- Where is Pacific hemlock native?
- Pacific hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is native to CA, ID, MT, OR and 1 more states, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What pollinators does Pacific hemlock attract?
- Pacific hemlock draws wind pollinated.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
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