NCRN Hemlock Inventory Data

​Data associated with the 2015 hemlock inventory project in NCR.

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is a coniferous tree native to the NE and Appalachian regions of the US, with some disjunct populations in the SE US. Eastern hemlock is shade tolerant, long-lived, and slow-growing. It is usually restricted to steep terrain on north facing slopes adjacent to streams, but is also frequently planted in urban and suburban areas, where it grows well outside its natural habitat.
Eastern Hemlock has become increasingly uncommon due to impacts from exotic insects: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) and Elongate Hemlock Scale (Fiorinia externa). As a result of impacts from these insects, as well as impacts from a changing climate, Eastern hemlock is one of the most threatened species of conifers in the Mid-Atlantic.