Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189040005
Observations Due Oct 27, 2023
Today was a beautiful, cold, brisk, sunshiny day to go for my walk. I did have in mind the plant I was particularly looking for. I looked for the Western Hemlock, an easy tree to spot in the Sitka rainforest. Although I admitted when I went looking for an old pinecone from the tree, all I saw everywhere was the Sitka spruce pinecone. Finally, after almost 45 minutes and using my identification app, I found one to go with the other pictures.
The Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)grows in "Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California at 0-1830 m elevation in coastal to mid montane forests"; unlike its cousin that lives in higher elevations, the Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) (Earle). The western hemlock loves a wet climate and can grow to 45-55 meters. It is an evergreen, as most conifers are. Its bark is grey-brown, cracked and broken, and it often grows from fallen trees that have fallen during windstorms; these fallen trees are called nursery trees. I have a picture of three or four trees growing from the ground, originally a fallen hemlock. Their needles grow flat on the twig and are "shiny green", unlike the Sitka Spruce, where the needles encircle the twig (Earle). The pinecone is small and oval-shaped and "goes to a point, " as shown in my picture (Earle).
Recently there has been a problem with "Rhizoctonia butinii or "web rot", which has been said that it is affecting Western Hemlocks in its natural environment because of the "increasingly stressed by summer drought and high temperatures, both of which are associated with […] climate change in the Pacific Northwest (Earle).
The Native folks use it for several functions, and western hemlock has a high amount of tannin, so they will use it for "a tanning agent, pigment and cleansing solution" (Earle). They used hemlock to make "red dye for mountain goat wool, basket materials, facial cosmetics and hair remover." The Haida made large feast bowls from the wood of bent hemlock trunks" (Earle). And most of us here in Sitka have seen how hemlock is used to collect herring roe in the spring. Also, the Native Alaskan has been used to make spoons, combs and wedges, and "the pitch and the outer and inner bark were widely used medicinally" (Earle). They are suitable for timber and have been cut for years by people who came from the lower 48s, and sadly, they were clear-cut. Most of this kind of practice has stopped here in the Southeast.
Western hemlock has been in the lives of people who have lived in Southeast Alaska for as long as there have been people living here. Here is an ancient tree that deserves much recognition.
Earle, Christopher J. Tsuga Heterophylla (Western Hemlock) Description, The Gymnosperm Database, 2023, conifers.org/pi/Tsuga_heterophylla.php.
Comments
Hi Gayleen Jacobs. The first picture you have of the Western Hemlock is fascinating as you managed to capture the magnitude of the tree with a simple picture. I didn't know we had Western Hemlocks; the only trees I see are birch and cottonwood. I see Spruce, but I'm unsure if they're the same one you're talking about. Where I live, there are no problems with our spruce having a disease, but I have heard that spruce beetles have been killing a lot of spruce along with the birch trees taking all their nutrients. It is interesting to see this almost war between trees trying to out-cover one another and seal nutrients from neighbors. I liked how you talked about the different tools Native Alaskans used. I agree that it is an ancient tree that needs to be recognized, not only for its beauty but also for its history.
On the hunt for the elusive Western Hemlock, and all you saw was the Sitka spruce pinecone - nature really was playing hide and seek with you! But I’m so glad your perseverance (and trusty app) finally led you to it.
The details about the Western Hemlock and its geographical range are super intriguing. It's astonishing how it grows from what you call 'nursery trees'. Nature’s resilience at its best. And those differences in needles between the Hemlock and the Sitka Spruce?
Reading about the issues with “web rot” due to climate change is so disconcerting. Our planet deserves so much better than what we’re currently offering.
But, the part that grabbed me the most? The rich cultural significance of the hemlock for Native people. The uses, from tanning to crafts, are a testament to their deep bond with nature.
Cheers to the Western Hemlock, an unsung hero of the rainforest!
Hi Gayleen,
I am often very interested in the placement of certain plant species across the Pacific Northwest. There are so many plants that you can find in Alaska all the way down to Oregon or California, but there are other species that you can only find in Alaska, or only find in California. I wish there was a way to study the history of all of these plants at once that wouldn't cost me all of my time/energy. I don't remember ever hearing about a plant being used for hair remover. I wonder who the first person to try this method was. Thank you for your well-spoken words and thorough research!
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