Tree Trail

26. Tsuga mertensiana

The Mountain Hemlock is native to the North West coast of North America Mertensiana refers to the German Botanist Karl Heinrich Mertens who collected specimens as a member of a Russian expedition in 1826-1829. A slow grower, it grows up to 20-40 metres (66-131 feet) tall, sometimes attaining 800 years in age. The cones rPost 26ange from dark purple to red-brown and the bark is thin, grey and square-cracked or furrowed. It is planted as a specimen tree in gardens in Northern Great Britain.