Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), also called Canada hemlock or hemlock spruce, is a slow-growing long-lived tree which unlike many trees grows well in shade. It may take 250 to 300 years to reach maturity and may live for 800 years or more.

Why are hemlock trees dying?

Eastern and Carolina hemlocks are dying because of an invasive hemlock-eating pest transplanted from Japan. The pest – Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) – kills hemlocks by sucking the nutrients from the tree, killing it in as little as 3-5 years. ... HWA is what's killing your hemlocks.

Where is the oldest hemlock tree?

The eastern hemlock grows well in shade and is very long lived, with the oldest recorded specimen, found in Tionesta, Pennsylvania, being at least 554 years old. The tree generally reaches heights of about 31 m (102 ft), but exceptional trees have been recorded up to 53 m (174 ft).