Eastern hemlock [Tsuga Canadensis]

[MACH5]

I was looking recently at a HD for a quick project. I found a small Canadian hemlock that seemed to fit the bill.

I had this photo taken from the web (sorry author unknown) of a stand of hemlocks growing at high altitude in China. I loved the rounded tops and meandering trunks that seem to defy their growth habit; straight up with pointy apexes. So with this image in mind I set out to style my new hemlock. Don't miss the guy down by the bottom middle for scale!







Here is the tree as purchased. Very full and healthy.







Detail of the lower trunk with a heavy low branch.







I decided to use the thick low branch as my new leader and jin the rest of the tree.








The jin was done first. Here it is completed at least for now. At this point I decided to change my planting angle.







Below are a few pics of the tree's progression taken from different angles.











The first styling completed. The tree now stands 11" high from soil level.





For fun I took a pic in B&W. Although I did enjoy working with this little guy, it is unlikely I will keep this one.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Your photo reminds me of my western hemlock that was given to me. Especially since one side has a bit of die back from the winters harshness last winter.

Like what you did with your material...

 

[amkhalid]

Nice one mach. Beautiful work can do wonders on simple material. Underused species for sure.

 

[coh]

Nice work! And thanks for posting. I recently picked up one of these that I found at a local nursery and this thread has given me some ideas on how to proceed. Probably won't do any work on it until spring, though.

Chris

 

[MACH5]

Nice one mach. Beautiful work can do wonders on simple material. Underused species for sure.

Thanks Aaron! First time I noticed them at my HD. They do seem quite adaptable for bonsai. It was nice working with it and quite flexible. Similar in appearance to Yews.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Similar in appearance to Yews.

I agree that they are similar. But, I have a yew 7 years from a volunteer seedling as well as a collected Tsuga canadensis and I find the habit on the hemlock much more pleasing. The cat will brush up against the Hemlock and the branches will dance around for a while like a visual wind chime.

These Eastern Hemlock sure like water and fertilizer. I almost wonder if it would take a bald cyprus treatment in a tray of water, but I don't have any disposable ones to try it out on.

Nice Styling as usual.

David

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I agree that they are similar. But, I have a yew 7 years from a volunteer seedling as well as a collected Tsuga canadensis and I find the habit on the hemlock much more pleasing. The cat will brush up against the Hemlock and the branches will dance around for a while like a visual wind chime.

These Eastern Hemlock sure like water and fertilizer. I almost wonder if it would take a bald cyprus treatment in a tray of water, but I don't have any disposable ones to try it out on.

Nice Styling as usual.

David

From what I have seen in the 'wilds' of Michigan, Wisconsin & Illinois, eastern hemlock is not a swamp plant, they will grow near swamps, or on hummocks in the swamp - where the tree is above the water, roots may go down into water, but without excavating, I don't know if the roots are above the water line or down into the water. That said, I would not stand them in water. If you are facing a spell of really dry weather, if you do stand them in water, my thought would be that the depth should not be more than a small fraction of the depth of the pot. So water mostly just wicks up into the pot, rather than submerging a significant portion of the roots. I agree they do not like dry soil. I doubt they would tolerate being submerged the way a bald cypress can tolerate water.

 

[tmmason10]

I do believe this would have won the box store competition. Incredible result from not so incredible material.

 

[jk_lewis]

They grow S L O W L Y.

 

[0soyoung]

I do believe this would have won the box store competition. Incredible result from not so incredible material.

No, I don't believe it would have because it is not within the rules of the box store competition - that's a bit bigger than a 1 gal pot. Mach5 doesn't mention how much he spent, but this hemock could have been a bit more than $30 as well. Nevertheless, I agree with your praise of Mach5's work.

 

[MACH5]

No, I don't believe it would have because it is not within the rules of the box store competition - that's a bit bigger than a 1 gal pot. Mach5 doesn't mention how much he spent, but this hemock could have been a bit more than $30 as well. Nevertheless, I agree with your praise of Mach5's work.

$19.99 but were marked down 50% off. I went back a few days later to get a couple more and all gone

 

[amkhalid]

They grow S L O W L Y.

I find the wildtypes grow reasonably fast putting out two annual flushes of nice long extensions in full sun. Certainly some dwarf varieties are quite slow.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I agree that my wild type has put on a lot of growth in the last year.. Doubling or tripling the amount of foliage. But, this one might be a cultivar like many that are available in the trade.

 

[MACH5]

Now come to think of it, I doubt places like HD would sell these trees so cheap if they were difficult and/or slow to cultivate. I imagine if they did the price point would be much higher. I do not discount the comment about them being slow but like Aaron said there are maybe some cultivars that are slow but not so for others. The plant I bought does not look much older than 5 to 8 years or so.

 

[wireme]

I like the green side a lot, I also like the deadwood. Together they almost could be two different tree species to my eye. Did you consider wiring the deadwood while green and flexible?

 

[MACH5]

Yes good comment. I did not wire it since ultimately, if I end up keeping this tree, will probably shorten or cut off all smaller branches as I think the jinned area is a bit more busy than needed at the moment. In the end I'd end up with a more simplified structure without some of the fussy branches pointing up. In my opinion if branches are wired in similar fashion as the live part, I think the design would end up looking a little repetitive.

 

[wireme]

Yes good comment. I did not wire it since ultimately, if I end up keeping this tree, will probably shorten or cut off all smaller branches as I think the jinned area is a bit more busy than needed at the moment. In the end I'd end up with a more simplified structure without some of the fussy branches pointing up. In my opinion if branches are wired in similar fashion as the live part, I think the design would end up looking a little repetitive.

Sounds good, over time in nature the downward branch structure would be gone on the deadwood portion anyway, so not a lot of sense I guess to mimic the live part there. Especially a species like hemlock with a low decay resistance rating for a conifer. Trees like junipers with very high decay resistance can hold the twiggy stuff a lot longer in nature. That might be why to me the current deadwood seems like it would be more at home on a juni.

 

[bonsaiBlake]

Do you sell any of the trees that you style. Every tree I see of yours I like and it is apparent immeadiatly who styled the tree. . . And I really want one of your trees on my bench. . .

 

[MACH5]

Sounds good, over time in nature the downward branch structure would be gone on the deadwood portion anyway, so not a lot of sense I guess to mimic the live part there. Especially a species like hemlock with a low decay resistance rating for a conifer. Trees like junipers with very high decay resistance can hold the twiggy stuff a lot longer in nature. That might be why to me the current deadwood seems like it would be more at home on a juni.

Exactly!

Do you sell any of the trees that you style. Every tree I see of yours I like and it is apparent immeadiatly who styled the tree. . . And I really want one of your trees on my bench. . .

Yes, I am. Please PM for details. Thanks!

 

[stu929]

Necro post I know. Just curious what happened with this tree as I am always impressed with your work. I have an eastern that I am looking for inspiration for as I have no idea what to do with it.