Tsuga chinensis Seeds | Chinese Hemlock
LATIN NAME: Tsuga chinensis
COMMON NAME: Chinese Hemlock, Taiwan Hemlock
Plant Profile
Chinese Hemlock (Tsuga chinensis) is a tall, evergreen conifer, native to China, taiwan and vietnam. The Chinese hemlock is a graceful and noble conifer of the eastern Asian mountains, and its soft, feathery foliage has made it a treasure of forest and the garden. It grows as a tall, evergreen conifer, reaching up to fifty metres, with a straight trunk and a broadly conical crown of short, flattened, dark green needles arranged in flat sprays, and small, pendulous cones. In good conditions it grows to around Fifty metres. Its appeal to pollinating insects adds a second, ecological layer to its ornamental one. It is the sort of plant that quietly justifies the space it occupies.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the Tsuga group, Tsuga chinensis draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Tree has also been studied in forestry science, since it is an important tree of mountain forests of China and Taiwan, and researchers have examined its growth, its timber and its management in forests where it grows. With present-day seed handling, raising this species well within the reach of any careful grower.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Chinese Hemlock for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Ecologically, the Chinese hemlock is a keystone of the eastern Asian forest. Its small cones feed birds and small mammals, its feathery evergreen crown gives shelter, and its deep roots hold steep mountain slopes, while it is a graceful and noble presence in high forests. For a grower, the Chinese hemlock is a valuable and graceful tree, and for a gardener it brings soft, feathery evergreen beauty. Once it has settled, the workload drops to almost nothing.
Hemlocks give graceful evergreen shade and bark rich in tanning tannins; hemlock tea was a vitamin-C drink of northern peoples, and the name honors the tree, not the poison plant.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Chinese Hemlock under ordinary good conditions. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Chinese Hemlock, Taiwan Hemlock settles in quickly once it finds its footing. As a tall, evergreen conifer, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Attention to moisture in the first weeks pays off; later, the plant is forgiving.
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