Pinaceae - Pine Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 76
Carolina Hemlock Tree
Tsuga caroliniana
This tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. https://ashevillebotanicalgardens.org/
The Carolina Hemlock splays her needles all around the twig; this is the way to distinguish it from the Eastern Hemlock, which lays his needles flat on top, like a blanket.
The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is living on this Carolina Hemlock. The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is native to Asia and came to the Southern Appalachians in the 1950's. This adelgid lives and breeds unchecked as this species has no predator in this part of the world. The adelgid is sucking the sap out of the hemlock trees and causing them to die. You can tell when a Hemlock has an infestation of the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid for it has white patches of a wooly substance which is actually what the Adelgid wraps their eggs in.
There is research going on in how to stop this infestation. There are different methods being used and studied. You can read more at https://savehemlocksnc.org/
This Carolina Hemlock lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. ashevillebotanicalgardens.org.
The location of this Carolina Hemlock is interesting for it is very close to a Tsuga Canadensis. Because they are so close it is easy to see the difference in the two species. The biggest difference I could see was in the size of the needles, cones, and twigs. In comparing these two trees, the Carolina Hemlock had the largest needles and cones; although there was not a great deal of difference, it was noticeable. The Eastern Hemlock twigs were slightly thicker and the sprays of needles appear to be flatter on the Eastern Hemlock and more all around the twig on the Carolina Hemlock.
This tree only lives in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. I visited this tree at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
http://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/carolina-hemlock-tsuga-caroliniana-2/
I hope to find this tree and photograph and draw it. Check back for that soon.
My favorite Carolina Hemlock lives at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.
For the love of the trees,
Becky
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 76
Carolina Hemlock Tree
Tsuga caroliniana
Spring
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| The Carolina Hemlock |
The Carolina Hemlock splays her needles all around the twig; this is the way to distinguish it from the Eastern Hemlock, which lays his needles flat on top, like a blanket.
Summer
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| Carolina Hemlock that has the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid living on it. |
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| New spring growth on another Carolina Hemlock that does not have the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid living in it's branches. |
There is research going on in how to stop this infestation. There are different methods being used and studied. You can read more at https://savehemlocksnc.org/
Fall
 |
| The Carolina Hemlock |
The location of this Carolina Hemlock is interesting for it is very close to a Tsuga Canadensis. Because they are so close it is easy to see the difference in the two species. The biggest difference I could see was in the size of the needles, cones, and twigs. In comparing these two trees, the Carolina Hemlock had the largest needles and cones; although there was not a great deal of difference, it was noticeable. The Eastern Hemlock twigs were slightly thicker and the sprays of needles appear to be flatter on the Eastern Hemlock and more all around the twig on the Carolina Hemlock.
Winter
This tree only lives in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. I visited this tree at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
The Champion Carolina Hemlock Tree
The American Forest National Champion Carolina Hemlock Tree lives in Buncombe County, North Carolina. It is 74 feet tall and has a circumference of 128 inches.http://www.americanforests.org/big-trees/carolina-hemlock-tsuga-caroliniana-2/
I hope to find this tree and photograph and draw it. Check back for that soon.
My favorite Carolina Hemlock Tree
My favorite Carolina Hemlock lives at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.
For the love of the trees,
Becky
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| from my journal.... |
