Hemlock has narrow, flat needles that are usually only one inch long. … Fir has longer (3 inches on average) and more flat needles compared with hemlock. Upper surface of needles is usually green and shiny, while bottom side is covered with whitish stomata arranged in two rows.

How can you tell the difference between hemlock and fir?

Needles have 2 white “racing stripes” on the underside. Fir needles have similar stripes. Conical to egg-shaped (more or less); fine branches give this tree a lacier appearance than spruce, fir or pine.

Is hemlock wood good for anything?

Eastern hemlock is used primarily for lumber and paper pulp. About three-fourths of the hemlock lumber produced is used for light framing, sheathing, roofing, and subflooring.

How do you identify a hemlock?

Poison-hemlock stems have reddish or purple spots and streaks, are not hairy, and are hollow. Leaves are bright green, fern-like, finely divided, toothed on edges and have a strong musty odor when crushed. Flowers are tiny, white and arranged in small, umbrella-shaped clusters on ends of branched stems.

Is Douglas fir a hemlock?

Despite its common names, it is not a true fir (genus Abies), spruce (genus Picea), or pine (genus Pinus). It is also not a hemlock; the genus name Pseudotsuga means “false hemlock”.

Are spruce and hemlock the same?

Hemlock trees have needles uniquely attached to the stem. It is similar to the stalk-like woody projections of a spruce but much finer. … Also, the needles of a hemlock are flattened.

What does hemlock tree look like?

Hemlock trees are dark green (and often appear darker than pines) and have somewhat droopy, lacy-looking branches. They can be found in beech-maple forests, coniferous swamps, forested dunes (usually north facing), and along river corridors.

What is the difference between hemlock and cedar?

Cedar is more common in sauna construction than hemlock. It is pliable and strong, and, more than likely, it will last longer than hemlock. Cedar is smooth, so it will make sitting on a sauna’s bench more comfortable. … Hemlock is a stronger wood than cedar, and it resists decay.

What does a western hemlock tree look like?

A large tree, it usually grows 30 to 50 metres tall. It has a rather narrow crown and conspicuously drooping new growth at the top of the tree. It has mostly down-sweeping branches and delicate feathery foliage. Needles are nearly flat, glossy, and soft; yellow to dark green on the upper surface and whitish underneath.

Is hemlock wood good for outdoors?

There is no guarantee as to how long the wood will last in the ground, but in the right conditions, some people report that it lasts 5 to 7 years. There is enough of a price difference between the hemlock and cedar or fir, that it is locally preferred wood for general outdoor and farm use.

Article first time published on

Is hemlock expensive wood?

Hemlock is also relatively inexpensive, which is noteworthy in this pandemic era of spiking lumber prices. Softwood lumber prices caused the price of an average home to jump by $16,148 in 2020, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.

Is hemlock good for wood turning?

Turning tips On the lathe, western hemlock becomes a turner’s dream. It has no resin, no odor, and doesn’t impart taste. Use it for anything from chair legs to egg cups!

Why is Douglas fir not a true fir?

The Douglas Fir is not considered a true fir because the cones hang down off the branch and fall off whole. Unlike the White Fir, the Douglas Fir needles grow in all directions around the branch and can vary in different shades of green on a tree. …

How can you tell Western hemlock from Douglas fir?

Hemlocks (Tsuga) It is easy to distinguish them from other native conifers by their short, flat needles and by the drooping branches and drooping leaders at the top of each tree. The cones have rounded scales like Douglas fir, but don’t have bracts protruding from them.

Do Douglas firs have pine cones?

Look at the buds. Douglas fir has unique buds that are pointed, reddish-brown and papery. Cones: The cones are the only ones you will find in the Northwest with three-pointed bracts sticking out of the scales. Unlike the true firs, the cones hang down rather than standing up on the branch.

Does a hemlock have cones?

Eastern Hemlock is monoecious, producing both pollen cones and seed cones on the same tree. Pollen cones occur near the tips of leafy twigs, while seed cones occur at the tips of such twigs. … The cones are wind-pollinated during the spring.

Is hemlock a pine?

Hemlock is evergreen tree that belongs to the pine family. There are around 10 species of hemlock that are native to America (4 species) and Asia (remaining 6 species). Hemlock inhabits dense, moist habitats that are characterized by dry, rocky soil.

Do hemlock trees have cones?

Male flowers are small, round yellow cone shapes near the ends of branches. These male cones have globular pollen packets and are mounted on a short green stalk. … Unlike White Spruce, seed cones occur every year. Habitat: Eastern Hemlock grows in cool moist acidic soil with partial shade.

Is hemlock better than spruce?

Strength wise eastern hemlock has better performance numbers than spruce both red and white and balsam fir.

How can you tell hemlock from pine?

Pine. The main difference between a hemlock tree and a pine tree is their needle-like leaves. Looking at hemlock needles on a branch, you’ll notice they are attached individually by a small peg. In contrast, pine needles grow in bundles with two to five needles per cluster.

Is Western hemlock Evergreen?

Western hemlock is a graceful, Pacific Coast evergreen with a narrow, pyramidal crown; semi-pendulous branches; red-brown, scaly bark; and fine-textured, dark-green needles. The tree may reach 200 ft. in nature; 100 ft.

Is Douglas fir the same as cedar?

Douglas Fir Wood Decking It is a pale pinkish-brown to red-brown color, and has a tight, straight grain. Douglas Fir, when compared to Cedar, is almost twice as hard per square inch. It is primarily a softwood, though it contains hard fibers that are sandwiched within.

What is Douglas fir wood?

Commonly, Douglas Fir is a species of softwood, but it is also considered to be one of the widely-used types of lumber, especially in fencing, home construction and decking in the United States. … It is also known as the toughest Western softwood and is very easy to mold.

What can I use hemlock for?

Western hemlock is used for general construction, roof decking and plywood, as well as for laminating stock and the production of glue-laminated and solid beams. Its strength and stiffness make it a preferred material for use in horizontal components and longer spans.

Does hemlock weather well?

Hemlock is rated as low in decay resistance, prone to distinct warping, and shrinks quite a bit. But, if kept dry, any wood is rot resistant. I saw lots of it for construction lumber.

Do you need to seal hemlock?

Seal the hemlock by brushing on a coat of polyurethane. Allow this to harden for roughly eight hours before applying at least one more coat.

Is hemlock easy to stain?

Hemlock is a porous lumber used in construction and furniture creation. The wood is harder than pine, but softer than many other varieties and this can lead to uneven staining. … Bare hemlock is very light, so you can stain it any color from a light golden tint to black.

Is hemlock good siding?

I found that hemlock is more resistant to this mold. … It’s also harder and more rot resistant. It is nowhere near as rot resistant as cedar, a more common siding material however.

Can hemlock be used for furniture?

a good species for furniture, cabinetry and millwork. … The properties of the hemlock and its superior stain ability makes it easy to finish mouldings to match doors, floors or cabinetry with a wide range of wood finishes.

Can you stain hemlock wood?

Hemlock sands well and accepts wood stain, but as a softwood, it requires special care to ward off blotchiness and grain reversal. Although hemlock is more dense than some softwood species, the porosity of any softwood can prevent stain from absorbing evenly.

What is fir and hemlock wood used for?

Western Hemlock is used as construction lumber and is commonly grouped together with other species of fir and hemlock and sold under the more generic label “HEM-FIR.” Expect prices to be moderate for a domestic softwood.