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Canadian hemlock is a perennial tree from the Pine family. Coniferous wood is used for the production of furniture, bark and needles – in the pharmaceutical and perfume industries. An evergreen tree native to Canada, widespread in America, especially in its northern part. Canadian hemlock and its varieties are grown as a decorative element for landscape design.
What is “hemlock” and what does it look like
The genus Hemlock includes more than 20 species of coniferous trees. But only Canadian hemlock, due to its winter hardiness, is optimally suited for the temperate climate of Our Country, so its various forms are popular with designers. The tree received its specific name from the distribution area, the generic name came from a species growing in Japan.
On the territory of the Federation, there are no seedlings for mass sale; you will not see decorative forms in parks or squares. Canadian hemlock is a brand of popular landscape designers in Moscow, Moscow region, St. Petersburg. Culture can be found in the botanical garden of Tver and Voronezh University, in the arboretum of Sochi.
Description of the classic Canadian hemlock (pictured):
- A tree with a regular cone-shaped, stepped crown, sprawling. The branches grow horizontally, the tops are lowered. The height is about 20-23 m. The trunk is upright, tapering towards the crown, the diameter of the lower part is 70-110 cm.
- The bark of the skeletal branches and the trunk of a young conifer is dark brown with a burgundy tint, the structure is scaly. With age, it becomes rigid, thickened, with longitudinal deep furrows.
- The branches are short, the lower ones are formed low above the ground. The shoots of the hemlock are thin, drooping.
- The needles are small, flat, with a rounded top, dark green, 2 longitudinal light lines are observed on the lower part. The needles are densely located on the shoots.
- The culture is monoecious, forms female light green and male yellow small rounded strobili.
- Cones are oval, oblong, 2,5 cm long, formed at the tops of the shoots. The color is light brown with a gray tint. They ripen within a year, fall off the next season.
- Seeds are small, oval, equipped with lionfish.
The first male strobili appear after 20 years of vegetation. The tree is entering reproductive age. Seeds ripen by October and disperse. May germinate in spring or remain dormant until next season.
How fast canadian hemlock grows
This species grows very slowly, especially in the first decade. By the age of 15-20, the height of the Canadian hemlock does not exceed 8-10 m. In the future, the annual growth increases slightly, but depends on the growing conditions. The tree is one of the longest-lived in the world of flora, the biological cycle continues for more than 500 years.
Varieties of Canadian hemlock
Canadian hemlock is the only representative of the genus with a large number of cultivars. The decorative natural form of the tree with soft fluffy needles and drooping branches formed the basis of dwarf varieties, medium-sized trees with a weeping crown and creeping varieties. Canadian hemlock has more than 60 varieties, below is a general overview of the most popular cultivars in Europe and Our Country.
Jeddeloh
A miniature plant that forms a very short trunk, so visually the variety looks like a shrub. The shape is rounded, the crown is lower than the last branches, forming a recess in the form of a wide funnel, resembling a bird’s nest.
The height and width of the Canadian hemlock variety are directly proportional, the parameters of an adult tree are 0,5 m. The needles are dark green, dense, the tops are light olive in color. The cultivar grows very slowly, calmly tolerates the shadow. Does not respond well to low air humidity.
Jervis (Jervis)
Rounded, without a clear shape, very compact tree. Jervis is classified as a dwarf variety, the maximum height of an adult seedling does not exceed 0,3 m, the crown diameter is 2 times larger.
The needles are soft, densely growing, dark green. The shoots of the current season are bright green, numerous. The cultivar forms few cones, and then only after 15 years of vegetation, they are conical, brown, up to 2,5 cm long.
Stockman Dwarf (Stockman Dwarf)
The variety is undersized – 50-100 cm, creeping form, branched bush, with numerous small brown cones.
The needles are short, flat, rather wide, with rounded tops, densely growing. Dwarf hemlock is suitable for growing on the site and in flower volumetric slides. Stockman Dwarf is characterized by high shade tolerance and frost resistance. Responds poorly to transplant.
Minute (Minute)
A spherical dwarf tree (20×20 cm) on a short stem, the lower branches lie on the ground surface.
Canadian hemlock Minute forms a compact dense crown of the correct spherical shape. The annual increase is insignificant (within 4 mm). The needles are glossy, saturated green, the shoots are a tone lighter. Frost resistance high up to -30 0C. Use culture for landscaping rockeries.
Nana
Dwarf variety of Canadian hemlock with horizontally growing branches and drooping tops. It grows up to 1 m, the width is 2 times greater.
The cultivar is ideal for creating hedges. The crown is dense, dense with numerous shiny needles of bright green color. Cones are small, spindle-shaped, dark brown, formed in small quantities. The variety is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, drought resistance is low.
Hussii (Hussii)
One of the popular semi-dwarf cultivars. It is difficult to define clear boundaries of the crown.
The tree is dense, branched, the lower circle of branches may be shorter than the upper ones, the tree is closer to a rounded shape. The maximum size is 2,5 m. The growth is insignificant, by the age of 8 the variety barely reaches 90 cm, the width at any age is 1/2 of the height. The needles are soft, thick, dark, contrasting with bright young shoots. The plant does not lose its decorative effect in the shade, it has a high winter hardiness.
Pendula (Pendula)
Hemlock Canadian Pendula weeping form, includes several subspecies, different in size and color of the needles.
This is a very beautiful ornamental tree with a dense drooping crown and the absence of skeletal branches, the shoots are thin and graceful. The plant is often used as a graft on the trunk of taller conifers. As an independent hemlock tree, Canadian Pendula can reach 1,5 m. It is a very dense tree with small green needles with a delicate blue tint. The plant prefers partial shade, has high frost resistance.
Cole
Cole’s cultivar is known by various names: Cols Prostrate, Cole’s Prostrate, Cole. Canadian hemlock Cols Prostrait belongs to the elite variety of weeping form.
The unique ground cover plant grows up to 0,8 m in height, the branches extend up to 1,5 m. The needles are narrow, elongated, dense. The peak of decorativeness of Canadian hemlock Cole s Prostrate occurs at the beginning of summer, when young light green shoots appear. The plant is a good option for a rock garden with an artificial reservoir. Hemlock does not tolerate low humidity, grows in the shade and in an open area.
Moll
Habitus weeping, branches of different lengths, prostrate, grow in different directions. Outwardly, the tree resembles a shrub up to 2-2,5 m wide. The height does not exceed 1,5 m.
The growth is about 5 cm. The plant responds equally well to shade and sun, and is highly frost-resistant.
Gentsch White
The cultivar is popular with landscapers for its unusual coloration. During the formation of silvery young shoots, green needles look like they are covered with frost.
Gentch White is classified as a dwarf variety. The tree grows up to 60 cm in height, the length of the outstretched branches is 115 cm. The tree requires pruning, does not tolerate direct sunlight.
macrophylla
Canadian Hemlock Macrophylla is a slender tree with a regular wide-pyramidal crown. The peculiarity of the cultivar is the presence at the crown of short branches growing in different directions, which resemble a fountain.
Among the varieties of Canadian hemlock, Macrophila is classified as large-sized, the tree can grow up to 15 m.
Grows on neutral soils, requires sprinkling in dry weather.
Compact
Hemlock Canadian Compact retains its decorative effect only in a shaded area. In the sun, the needles turn yellow and crumble, completely exposing the branches. The stem of the tree is short, it seems that the branches are formed from the root.
The tree has the appearance of a shrub with randomly arranged stems and a flat crown. The tops of the branches are lowered, the needles are light green with a blue tint, small, flat. The growth of the variety is insignificant, the maximum height is 0,5 m, the diameter is 3 times larger.
Fastigiata
A variety of Canadian hemlock Fastigiata grows up to 2 m, has a wide pyramidal, semi-weeping shape. The needles are small, densely arranged, light green.
The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil, has a high frost resistance. With periodic sprinkling, it can grow in an open area.
Young Con
Canadian hemlock Yang Kon is a dwarf cultivar with an extraordinary shape, presented in the form of a bunch of spreading branches gathered in a bunch.
The needles are long with a silvery tint. The height of the culture is within 1 meter. The annual growth of the tree is not bad – 10-17 cm. The variety responds well to shearing and shaping. Does not tolerate drying out of the soil.
Iceberg
Iceberg is a rare variety of Canadian hemlock with a rounded pyramidal shape. The tree is low up to 1,5 m with horizontally growing branches. The diameter is 2,5 times the height.
The crown is loose, the needles grow densely, the color is light green. Young shoots are white, drooping. The culture is shade-tolerant, undemanding to the soil. It grows slowly, the natural form is decorative, so molding is not required.
The use of Canadian hemlock in landscape design
A frost-resistant culture with numerous decorative cultivars can be used in any design concept. Canadian hemlock is used:
- for landscaping rockeries;
- as a hedge;
- in composition with flowering shrubs;
- as a padding of large-sized;
- as a tapeworm in the center of the lawn;
- for the design of the shores of artificial reservoirs;
- to decorate the rock garden.
Below are a few photos of Canadian hemlock in landscape design.
Planting Canadian Hemlock
Timely planting of Canadian hemlock and subsequent care will provide decorativeness to the evergreen tree throughout the year. Hemlock is planted in moist soil, stagnant water is unacceptable even with good drainage. The composition of the soil suitable for cultivation is neutral or slightly acidic. On heavy saline or calcareous soil, the tree grows poorly. Wind resistance is low, the plant does not tolerate drafts and dry wind. The site is chosen semi-shaded or open, it is possible near a reservoir. Humidity should always be high.
Canadian hemlock is planted in spring – in April, in autumn – at the end of September. If necessary, neutralize the acidity of the soil. The planting hole is dug in advance, drainage and a nutrient mixture of peat and compost are placed at the bottom. The pit is deepened by 80 cm, the width should be 20 cm more than the root ball. Hemlock is planted with a seedling with a closed root.
Landing algorithm:
- Before the pit, the root is opened.
- The planting material is placed in the center by the transshipment method.
- Fall asleep with a nutrient mixture.
- Watering, mulching.
The root neck is left above the soil level. When planting several plants, the distance is 85-1,5 m (depending on the diameter of the crown of an adult plant).
How to care for Canadian hemlock
Coniferous culture is grown because of the decorative habit, so the main task is to create the most comfortable conditions for vegetation, close to the biological characteristics of hemlock. The tree, especially its ornamental varieties, requires fertilizing, watering, pruning and pest control.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
The plant is watered as needed, the soil near the root should not be allowed to dry out, waterlogging is a direct road to disease and death of the conifer. The norm for an adult plant is 12-15 liters of water per week. For seedlings, the volume is 2 times less, and the schedule is the same. Hemlock requires sprinkling, if there is no precipitation, the procedure is carried out every evening. Plants are fed for two years with phosphorus-containing products. From the third year, the plant does not need fertilizer.
Loosening and mulching the soil
Mulching is a prerequisite for Canadian hemlock farming. The covering layer of the near-stem circle will retain moisture and prevent overheating of the root in hot weather. Any material is used, but more often they take wood bark or wood chips. In autumn, the layer is increased, in spring the soil is loosened, the mulch is renewed. Weeds are removed throughout the season.
Trimming rules
Hemlock and its varieties have a decorative crown, so the formation is rarely carried out. Vertical pruning provides a hedge, cut off shoots that go beyond the visual border. According to professionals, a Canadian hemlock one haircut in 3 years is enough. Ephedra grows slowly. Molding is carried out in the fall, and sanitary pruning in the spring, cutting off dry and damaged areas.
Pests and diseases of Canadian hemlock
The classic variety of Canadian hemlock rarely gets sick, it is practically not parasitized by insects. Cultivars are less resistant to infection, late blight is possible. The disease starts from the root system and covers the entire crown. The reason lies in the waterlogging of the soil, to eliminate the problem, watering is reduced, the tree is treated with Fundazol. At an earlier age, hemlock is prone to rust, the tops of the shoots darken, the needles crumble. From rust apply “Hom”.
Of the pests on Canadian hemlock, spider mites parasitize. Constant sprinkling washes away pests, with the mass spread of ticks, insecticides “Decis” or “Baktofit” are used.
Growing problems: why in the spring the hemlock began to dry and crumble
Hemlock is a coniferous tree and has the same problems with yellowing and shedding of needles as with all conifers. If in the spring the tree began to turn yellow, it means that a biological failure has occurred. The shoots started to grow, and the root system has not yet come out of dormancy. The yellowing of the needles will be distinct from the sunny side, it is necessary to shade the plant or put up a screen.
The cause of crown shedding can be a deficiency of trace elements in the soil, therefore, in the spring, scarce soil is fertilized with phosphorus agents.
The problem with decorativeness occurs on constantly moist soils. The needles dry with fungal infections.
Conclusion
Canadian Hemlock is an evergreen coniferous crop with high frost resistance and shade tolerance. Many cultivars of dwarf, weeping and strictly pyramidal forms have been created on the basis of the large-sized plant. Hemlock is used in ornamental gardening for landscape design.
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