Carolina Hemlock, scientifically known as Tsuga caroliniana,

 The Carolina Hemlock, scientifically known as Tsuga caroliniana, is a captivating tree species that thrives in the eastern United States. Although it often remains in the background compared to flashier plants, this evergreen conifer is vital to its ecosystem. By examining the Carolina Hemlock's unique traits and ecological role, we can appreciate its significance for nature lovers and conservationists alike.

The Characteristics of Carolina Hemlock

The Carolina Hemlock typically grows between 30 and 100 feet tall, displaying a conical shape that may be slightly irregular. Its bark ranges from dark brown to gray and features ridges, giving it a rugged look. The foliage is lush with needle-like leaves, approximately 1 inch long, which showcase a rich green hue year-round.

Close-up of Tsuga caroliniana leaves showcasing the vibrant green color and delicate structure.

This species flourishes in the rocky landscapes of the Appalachian Mountains, often preferring moist, well-drained soils. Carolina Hemlocks thrive in mixed forests along elevations from 1,500 to 5,000 feet. These trees not only survive in this environment; they also enhance the biodiversity of their surroundings.

Ecological Significance

The Carolina Hemlock plays a crucial role in its environment in several ways. It provides essential habitats for various wildlife, including birds such as the Black-throated Green Warbler and small mammals like Eastern Chipmunks. The dense canopy serves as shelter and nesting areas while producing seeds that feed numerous creatures, including squirrels and chickadees.

Moreover, the acidic needles from the Carolina Hemlock are vital to the forest nutrient cycle. As they fall and break down, they enrich the soil, improving conditions for neighboring plant species. Studies show that forests dominated by Hemlocks can possess up to 50% more biodiversity than those absent of this species, demonstrating its importance in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

A dense forest scene featuring Carolina Hemlock trees underscoring their role in the ecosystem.

Challenges Facing the Carolina Hemlock

Despite its hardiness, the Carolina Hemlock faces significant challenges, primarily from the invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae). This small, sap-sucking pest has ravaged Hemlock populations, leading to observed decline rates of up to 80% in heavily infested areas. Infestations can result in severe leaf loss, ultimately causing tree mortality.

Efforts to protect this species are in full swing. These initiatives include biological control strategies, such as introducing predatory beetles, and establishing breeding programs to cultivate pest-resistant Hemlocks. Public awareness campaigns are also crucial to educate people about this vital tree and the need for its conservation.

Cultivating Carolina Hemlock

For those interested in growing Carolina Hemlocks, it is essential to understand their specific needs. They flourish best in shady, cool locations that replicate their native environment. When planting a Carolina Hemlock, selecting a spot with well-drained, acidic soil and partial shade is vital.

Watering regularly during dry spells is critical, especially in the first couple of years after planting, to develop strong root systems. Adding 2 to 4 inches of mulch around the base can help retain soil moisture and maintain stable temperatures.

Young Tsuga caroliniana sapling thriving in moist forest soil.

Appreciating Our Hemlock Heritage

The Carolina Hemlock is a remarkable tree that deserves recognition not only for its beauty but also for its vital ecological role. As threats like the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid continue to impose risks, we must all take action to protect this precious species. By raising awareness and participating in conservation initiatives, we can ensure future generations enjoy the Carolina Hemlock and appreciate its contributions to our ecosystems.

Next time you wander through the forests of the eastern United States, stop for a moment to admire the Carolina Hemlock. Understanding its unique features and environmental contributions can deepen your connection to nature and inspire preservation efforts for the benefit of our planet.

The impacts of snow and ice on your trees and plants

 With snowfall occurring again overnight in our area, it is a little too late to take those extra steps to prevent possible storm damage to your trees and shrubs now.  You can however be prepared for how to handle certain situations that may arise after the storms have passed.  The first thing to remember is DO NOT try to swat, beat, bang or knock heavy snow or ice off of your trees or shrubs.   They may be leaning over or look like they are going to break at any moment but you interfering with Mother Natures "process" will more then likely cause more harm then good, not to mention the risk you take of injuring yourself if the tree should give way and fall on you.....or cause the snow and ice load to fall on you..... It is just not smart either way you look at it so PLEASE don't try it!  In cases of small evergreens (Yews, Junipers, Hemlocks, Leylands, etc) and snow (not ice) you can gently brush snow off of the limbs with a soft broom to help eliminate some of the weight from its branches, again please wait until after the storm has passed.

Image Citations: Amy Gilliss, Arundel Tree Service

If your trees are damaged remember, trunks, limbs and branches can in some cases be cabled or braced professionally (if the damage is not to severe).  If the damage is too much for cabling or bracing to correct, damaged sections may be able to be cut back to a safe point to save the remaining tree.   In cases of severe damage the entire tree may need to be removed entirely and replaced with a more sturdy option (Remember the right tree right place rule if you are replanting!).  When trying to determine if a tree is worth saving you need to considered not only the extent of the damage but the extent of the possible repairs and the overall value of the tree itself.  If your tree has a small amount of bark that is peeling, ripped or torn after a limb breaks off completely, do not try to cover the wound or repair it.  If it is hanging and pulling on the wound causing further damage, you can cut (with clean sharp trimmers) off just the loose/hanging portion, leaving a small portion loose near the edge of the wound (not cutting tight to the wound) be very careful not to pull or peel anything further from the tree. Trees have a natural process (CODIT) by which they heal themselves.  Covering wounds or interfering during the process could actually prevent this healing process from occurring.

If your small tree or shrub begins to uproot it may be able to be up-righted and secured with stakes or guy wires.  Keep in mind that if more then 1/3 of the roots are damaged you may be fighting a losing battle.  Do not try to upright large trees, not with your truck, not with a come-along, and never with a ladder (yes we have seen the results of these attempts ad they are not pretty) - if the tree is too large to be lifted by natural human power then contact a professional and let them lead you in the right direction.  

Image Citations: Amy Gilliss, Arundel Tree Service

Some tree varieties are damaged more often during storms then others because of inherent structural weakness such as weak wood, weak roots or narrow crotch angles, these include but are not limited to Bradford, Cleveland and Aristocrat Pears, Elms, Poplars, Silver Maples and many common evergreens/conifers.  With these types of trees artificial support may be recommended to help prevent crotch or branch splitting or breakage. Of course, it is always best to plan ahead before storms arrive, look up at your trees often to monitor for any changes that may be cause for concern. Remember, trees are living, growing and changing, they require care maintenance and TLC to thrive!  Structural damage caused by wind and ice can usually be prevented by careful and through pruning including removing weak/diseased limbs, or limbs forming narrow

crotches.  

Image Citations: Amy Gilliss, Arundel Tree Service

You may reach us during an emergency (24/7/365) via email arundeltree@gmail.com or call our office during regular business hours (410)439-1900.  Stay safe if you must venture out before the roads are safely clear, otherwise stay warm and enjoy the Snow Days to come!

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Red Spruce - Picea rubens

   The Red Spruce - Picea rubens is a small-mid sized tree that can reach 50-80 feet tall. Red Spruce is a long lived tree that can live to be well over 400 years old. Red Spruce can be found growing from Canada in the North through North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia in the South. The branches on the Red Spruce are close in proximity to one another, growing straight out from the trunk and gently sweeping upward near the ends. The wood of Red Spruce is light in color and weight, straight grained, and resilient. This type of lumber is used for making paper, construction lumber, and stringed musical instruments.

Image Citation: Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Red Spruce is moneocious, with male and female flower buds occurring on the same tree but different branches, each year in May. The pendant male flowers are bright red while the female flowers are erect and bright green in color with a hint of purple. The seeds are small and winged, borne in cones. Cones mature from about mid-September to early October, the autumn following flowering. Cones are 1.3 - 1.5 in long, light red-brown, with rigid, rounded scales that are slightly toothed on the edges. Cones are receptive to pollen only when fully open, a condition which lasts briefly for only a few days. The needles are easily identified, they are shiny yellow-green on all sides and point out in all directions very much like porcupine quills. The needles are stiff 3/8 - 5/8 inch long, sharply pointed, four sided and awe shaped.

Image Citation: Georgette Smith, Canadian Forest Service, Bugwood.org

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American Smoketree - Cotinus obovatus

   The American Smoketree - Cotinus obovatus is a small tree that does not reach heights of more then 35 feet tall.  Generally having a short trunk and a full crown with widely spaced branches.  American Smoketree is used on a limited basis as an ornamental and is valued for it's distinctive smoky plumed flowers and dark red fall coloring.  This rare specimen is found growing on rock bluffs and in limestone glades from eastern Tennessee and Northern Alabama west through Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.  

Image Citation: Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

The leaves are alternate, egg shaped and are 2-6 inches long and 1 to 3 inches wide.  The upper leaf surface is a dull green and the lower surface is lighter and hair covered.  When crushed the leaves give off a distinctive mint odor.  The pink flowers are in the form of hairy fluff that from a distance look to be puffs of smoke, giving the tree it's unique name.   The bark is light gray to gray brown and thin, flaking and peeling up from the bottom edges.  

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Pondcypress - Taxidium ascendens

   The Pondcypress - Taxidium ascendens is a very large deciduous tree that can reach heights of over 100 feet and live to be over 500 years old.  It is most commonly found growing in very moist areas, swamps or even shallow ponds.  When growing in water the tree forms knee like structures around the base of the tree, this unique rooting habit makes the tree able to withstands high winds.  The wood of the mature Pondcypress is highly prized for it's rot and termite resistant properties.  When young the tree grows in a conical shape, with age it will begin losing it's lower limbs and the trunk will become deeply fluted.  

Image Citation: David Stephens, Bugwood.org

Pondcypress leaves are in the form of 1/4 inch long needles that are lime green in color and loosely woven around thin soft center twigs that curve slightly out from the main branches.  In the fall the lime green leaves change in color, first to yellow and then to a red-brown before falling off.  To the untrained eye the Pondcypress may appear to be a dead evergreen tree during this time, this is not the case as the Pondcypress is deciduous in nature (meaning it loses it's leaves each fall/winter).  The fruit balls of the Pondcypress are rounded in shape, rough on the surface and silver gray in color.  The fruit balls appear in the Summer and in the Fall open to release their seeds before falling off.  During the Winter season the Pondcypress and Baldcypress appear almost identical and can be easily confused for one another. 

Image Citation: David Stephens, Bugwood.org

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Swamp Tupelo - sylvatica var. biflora (AKA Swamp Blackgum)

     The Swamp Tupelo - sylvatica var. biflora (AKA Swamp Blackgum), is most often found as a small tree but can reach heights of over 80 feet tall.  The Swamp Tupelo is filled with small branches that grow in almost perfect right angles from the trunk forming an open but unkempt crown.  Mature trees often develop swelling near the base of their trunks.  Bees are often found around Swamp Tupelo as they gather the flower pollen to produce Tupelo Honey which is highly prized.   Their sour fruits are grazed upon by a variety of small mammals and birds.  The soft wood is not commercially important but is sometimes used in local applications where a rot resistant wood is required.  Swamp Tupelo prefers to grow in shallow moving water or swamp lands, and can be found from Maryland in the North through Florida in the South and west through eastern Texas and North along the Mississippi River to Illinois.  

Image Citation: Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org

The leaves of the Swamp Tupelo are alternate, thick and textured with short leaf stalks.  The leaf blade is 1.5 to 4 inches long and .5 to 1.5 inches wide.  The upper leaf surface is lustrous and green in color, the lower is pale and covered in hairs.  The fruit is purple-black in color, sour in flavor, 1/4-1/2 inch long with a hard seed that has distinct ridges.  The bark is silver-gray in color occasionally almost black in color with rough rectangular chunky plates and crooked furrows. 

Image Citation: Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org

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Black Jack Oak - Quercus marilandica

    The Black Jack Oak - Quercus marilandica, is a small to mid sized deciduous tree that reaches heights of only 15 - 45 feet tall.  Black Jack Oak often grows in an irregular shape with an open crown and crooked branches.  It is one of the fews Red Oaks that produce and store a substance called tyloses, this substance seals the vessels and make the wood watertight.  The small trees lumber is not highly valuable because of it's small size and knotty qualities it is used for fence posts, wooden water buckets, railroad ties, firewood and charcoal.  Black Jack Oak is native to dry, sandy or soils from Iowa in the West, New Jersey and New York in the North, South through Florida, West through Texas and Northern Nebraska.  

Image Citation: David Stephens, Bugwood.org

The leaves of the Black Jack Oak are tough and leathery, triangular and 4-8 inches long and wide.  The leaf stalk or petiole and lower surface are covered with dense brown-orange hairs.  The veins are raised on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces.  Acorns occur singularly or in pairs on a short stalk with red-brown top shaped cups with hairy scales.  The nuts are elliptic, 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch each, with a stout point.

Image Citation:  Vern Wilkins, Indiana University, Bugwood.org

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