Pennsylvania State Tree: Eastern Hemlock

Pennsylvania's official state tree is the Eastern Hemlock, a large evergreen conifer native to eastern North America. This hemlock grows 60 to 80 feet tall in Pennsylvania forests, with exceptional specimens exceeding 100 feet. The trunk measures two to four feet in diameter on mature trees. Some ancient Pennsylvania hemlocks reach five feet across in protected gorges and ravines. The tree grows slowly compared to pines, adding six to twelve inches per year. Eastern hemlock can live 400 to 800 years in Pennsylvania. The species provided valuable resources for Pennsylvania's development - the bark supplied tannin for leather tanning that made Pennsylvania a leather industry center in the 1800s, while the lumber built homes and barns across the state.

The needles provide the tree's most distinctive feature. Short flat needles measure one-quarter to one-half inch long, much smaller than pine or spruce needles. The needles appear glossy dark green on top with two white lines underneath. They attach to twigs on tiny stalks, unlike most conifers where needles attach directly. The needles grow in flat sprays along branches, creating a feathery appearance. The overall foliage appears lacy and delicate. Small cones hang from branch tips, measuring only three-quarters of an inch long - among the smallest cones of any Pennsylvania conifer. The cones mature in one season and drop by late winter.

Eastern hemlock grows throughout Pennsylvania except in the extreme southeast corner. The species thrives in cool, moist ravines and north-facing slopes across the state. Pennsylvania's hemlocks dominate stream valleys and create dense groves in the Allegheny Plateau. The tree tolerates deep shade better than most conifers, growing slowly beneath the hardwood canopy. Young hemlocks can survive decades in shade waiting for canopy gaps. The graceful drooping branches create cathedral-like groves. Pennsylvania hemlocks face significant threats from hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has killed millions of hemlocks across the eastern United States since the 1980s. Conservation efforts focus on protecting remaining healthy stands and developing treatment strategies.

The official name is Eastern Hemlock to distinguish it from western hemlock and other hemlock species. The scientific name Tsuga canadensis combines Tsuga (Japanese for 'tree mother') with canadensis (meaning of Canada). Early Pennsylvania settlers called it hemlock spruce or simply hemlock. The name hemlock comes from resemblance to a European plant called hemlock, though the tree bears no relation to the poisonous herb that killed Socrates. Pennsylvania's hemlock is not poisonous. The genus Tsuga includes about ten species worldwide.

Some Pennsylvania references use Canada hemlock or Canadian hemlock. Loggers called it hemlock pine in early Pennsylvania lumber records. Native Americans had various names for the tree. The species belongs to the Pinaceae family, the pine family. Pennsylvania's Eastern Hemlock is the same species found throughout northeastern North America from Nova Scotia to Minnesota and south through the Appalachian Mountains. Pennsylvania lies near the center of the species' range where hemlocks grow most abundantly.

Pennsylvania designated the Eastern Hemlock as its official state tree in 1931. The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the designation during the 1931 session. The legislation recognized hemlock as a tree integral to Pennsylvania's forest character and economic development. By 1931, Pennsylvania had been known for its extensive hemlock forests for over a century. The tanbark industry had peaked decades earlier, but hemlock remained a defining feature of Pennsylvania's mountain landscapes. The designation honored both the tree's economic history and its ecological importance.

Pennsylvania picked Eastern Hemlock because the species shaped the state's leather industry and forest character. During the 1800s, Pennsylvania led America in leather production. The state's extensive hemlock forests supplied bark for tanning hides. Hemlock bark contains high concentrations of tannin, the chemical compound that converts raw hides into leather. Pennsylvania tanneries processed millions of hides using hemlock tannin. Entire industries developed around hemlock - loggers stripped bark from trees in spring when tannin content peaked, haulers transported bark to tanneries, and tannery workers processed leather. Towns like Bradford, Sheffield, and Kane grew into major tanning centers because of nearby hemlock forests.

The tree played a crucial role beyond tanning. Hemlock lumber, while softer than pine or oak, built barns, sheds, and rough construction across Pennsylvania. The wood resisted decay, making it suitable for sills and foundation timbers. Railroad ties used hemlock treated with creosote. Pennsylvania hemlock forests created the cool, moist microhabitats that define the state's ecological diversity. Brooks and streams flowing through hemlock groves stay cold year-round, supporting native brook trout populations. The dense shade beneath hemlock canopies suppresses undergrowth, creating the open forest floor characteristic of Pennsylvania's hemlock stands. Wildlife including white-tailed deer use hemlock groves as thermal cover during harsh winters, the evergreen canopy providing shelter when hardwoods stand bare. The 1931 designation recognized that Eastern Hemlock represented Pennsylvania's forested mountains, supplied raw materials that built industries, and created the distinctive forest environment that shapes Pennsylvania's natural heritage. The tree connected Pennsylvania to its lumber and leather industry past while continuing to define the state's mountain landscapes and provide critical ecological functions in forest ecosystems.

Pennsylvania's state flower is the Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), designated in 1933. The state chose its tree symbol two years before adopting the flower. Both symbols are evergreens native to Pennsylvania mountains. The mountain laurel grows as a shrub beneath hemlock canopies, producing white to pink flower clusters in late spring. Hemlock and mountain laurel often grow together in Pennsylvania forests, creating layered vegetation from ground-level shrubs to towering conifers. Together these symbols represent Pennsylvania's Appalachian forest ecosystems and the evergreen vegetation that distinguishes the state's mountain landscapes from surrounding regions.

The needles provide the clearest identification feature. Look for very short flat needles measuring only one-quarter to one-half inch long. The needles appear glossy dark green on top with two prominent white lines underneath. Each needle has a tiny stalk attaching it to the twig - run your fingers along a twig and feel the needles pull off cleanly. This stalk distinguishes hemlock from spruces and firs where needles attach directly. The needles grow in flat sprays creating a feathery, delicate appearance. The overall texture looks lacier than pine or spruce.

The cones help confirm identification. Look for tiny cones measuring only three-quarters of an inch long hanging from branch tips. These small oval cones appear among the smallest of any Pennsylvania conifer. The cones start green and mature to light brown. They open to release seeds in fall and drop by late winter. The cone size immediately distinguishes hemlock from pines, spruces, and firs that have much larger cones.

The overall form shows drooping branch tips creating a graceful appearance. Young hemlocks develop narrow pyramidal crowns with branches touching the ground. Mature trees form irregular crowns with drooping branchlets that sweep downward. The branch tips always droop, even on upward-angled branches. This drooping habit creates the characteristic hemlock silhouette. The bark appears gray-brown to reddish-brown with deep furrows and broad flat ridges. Old trees develop thick, deeply furrowed bark. The bark texture feels rougher than pine bark. Hemlock groves create dense shade with open understories, giving Pennsylvania hemlock forests their cathedral-like quality.

Eastern Hemlock represents Pennsylvania's mountain heritage and industrial history. The tree symbolizes the tanbark industry that made Pennsylvania a leather production center and the cool forest groves that define Pennsylvania's mountain character. For Pennsylvanians, hemlock evokes the state's northern hardwood forests and the ecological richness of Appalachian valleys. The species embodies both Pennsylvania's resource extraction past and the conservation values protecting remaining old-growth stands. The ongoing battle against hemlock woolly adelgid represents Pennsylvania's commitment to preserving forest heritage against new threats. Eastern hemlock connects modern Pennsylvania to pioneer industries while defining the mountain landscapes that remain central to state identity.