I learned about the Eastern Hemlock tree, the only evergreen hemlock native to Maine. I had no idea that there were so many different types of evergreens, but there are! They are also known as the Canadian hemlock and they have been introduced into the UK and Europe as ornamental trees. They are very long lived, growing to more than 500 years, have been known to grow taller than 100 feet, and they tolerate growing on slopes, in shade, and moist soil. They have drooping branches which is what makes them lovely ornamental trees, and they have long been used in Construction and the tanning industry.
They are considered near threatened in the lower, more Southern parts of the Appalachian mountain range, because of the infestation of a bug called the Hemlock woolly adelgid, which sucks the sap out of the trees and causes them to die. Thankfully, the progression of this insect into the north has been slowed, so there is not as much of a threat to the trees in the northern most range of the trees. An experiment with releasing tooth-necked fungus beetles into areas hardest hit by the adelgid, as the beetles prey on the sap sucking bugs, was begun to see if they would have an effect on slowing the spread of the invasive insect and save more of these beautiful trees, rather than using conventional pesticides.
