About Mountain Hemlock
The Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) — also known as Alpine Hemlock — adds beauty to subalpine landscapes along a cold, snowy range in the far west of the North American continent, from Alaska down through British Colombia all the way to Southern California, spreading inland as far as the mountains of Montana, Idaho, and Nevada, but no further east. In Alaska and British Columbia, Mountain Hemlocks can be found all the way down to sea level, but everywhere else, these unique trees are generally found native only in mountainscapes between 4,000 and 12,000 feet in elevation.
Displaying dense, tight foliage in marvelous silvery blue-green to almost gray-white colors, Mountain Hemlock is usually a very balanced and symmetrical tree in form, except at the very top of its range, where it can become wind-ravaged and gnarled. Wild trees of this species can attain great size, but only after centuries of growth. Maximum height for a Mountain Hemlock is around 200 feet tall, and, in old growth, the tree takes on a less conical and more cylindrical form, with a powerful, tapered trunk wrapped in relatively thin, fissured, scaly, charcoal-gray to reddish-brown bark.
Mountain Hemlocks grow slowly throughout their 800-year lifespan — a tree of this species that is only 25–30 feet tall may very well be over 100 years old! Usually 75 to 100 feet tall at maturity (with 2 to 4 foot trunk diameters), Mountain Hemlocks display the telltale drooping leader (top) and slightly pendulous branchlet tips of all Hemlocks, but are uniquely distinguished by having the largest cones of any Hemlock species (still small as far as cones go, but up to 3" long in a showy dark purple to reddish-brown color). Also unique among Hemlocks, this species sports fat and stout needles (1/4" to 1" long) with white lines of stomatal bloom on both the under and upper sides (which contributes to the tree's shimmering appearance).
Mountain Hemlock's needles are whorled tightly around its branchlets in star-like clusters, and the tree's blue-gray to silvery-white color, diminutive size, slow growth, cold-hardiness, and preference for partial shade, moist air, and cool summer temperatures make it especially beloved by landscapers in Great Britain and Scandinavia. Looking at this handsome tree species, densely clothed in a silvery cloak of star-clustered needles, it is not hard to imagine why native peoples in British Columbia ascribed it magical qualities.
About Jonsteen's Seedlings
All of our trees are seed-grown at our nursery on California's Redwood Coast, which is inspected monthly and licensed by the California Department of Agriculture. Trees can provide a natural barrier against high winds, temperatures, noise pollution and soil erosion, all while benefiting local air quality, wildlife and property values — a Jonsteen seedling will only grow in value and beauty!
About Jonsteen's 100% Guarantee
All of our trees are guaranteed to arrive healthy and in good condition. If your tree perishes despite your honest efforts, we will be happy to replace it with a small-sized seedling for just the cost of shipping/handling. You can learn more about our guarantee and tree replacement policy here.
Seedling Size Chart: Medium
Due to the dynamic nature of actively growing trees, as well as the tremendous variation between species’ growth rates, we rely on the cubic volume of a seedling’s root mass to determine its “size” (Small / Medium / Large / XL). Within each size there is minor variance — the dimensions provided here represent the category minimum. If exact measurements are essential, please contact us about current stock.
