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Hemlock | |
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|  | | Eastern HemlockTsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. | |
Eastern hemlock is important for providing thermal cover for over-wintering white-tailed deer. Black bears also use hollow trunks for their dens.
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|  | | Western HemlockTsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. | |
Western hemlock is a large (>55 m) tree. Its drooping leader is a distinguishing feature. Many birds and mammals, including both black and grizzly bears, derive the foods and utilize habitat provided by western hemlock forests. The First Peoples relied upon this tree for foods, medicines and many other utilitarian goods.
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|  | | Mountain HemlockTsuga mertensiana (Bong.) Carr. | |
Mountain hemlock is found mostly in subalpine regions of British Colubmbia extending up to the treeline. Its leader droops only slightly. The seeds from the cones of mountain hemlock are an excellent source of food for many small mammals during the winter, where snowpacks at high elevations can be retained for as long as 6 months of the year.
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