About the Western Hemlock
A graceful tree distinguished by its drooping leader. It grows widely along the western side of the Cascades and is often found intermixed with the Douglas Fir. It grows rapidly. It is a good choice for adding screening to a shaded wooded area or where the soil is a little moist. Western Hemlock is what is known as the Climax species by ecologists for much of our region. It is shade tolerant and will come in under Douglas Firs. It the tree species that is usually growing on “nurse logs.” It is called the climax species, because in Old Growth Forests, it will come to predominate after Douglas Firs die and fall.
