Tsuga caroliniana

Carolina hemlock is in the pine or Pinaceae family and is native to the Appalachian Mountains in southwest Virginia, western North Carolina, extreme northeast Georgia, northwest South Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. It grows to a height of about 30 m.

• Tree crown is compact and pyramidal, growing up to 8 m wide.
• Needle-like leaves are evergreen, flattened, single needles, 5–20 mm long and 1.8–2 mm, glossy dark green above and paler with 2 stomata lines beneath; needles radiate in all directions from the twig; they do not taper towards the ends; tips are rounded or slightly notched.
• Species is monoecious, with small, yellow male cones near the tips of branches; female cones are 2-4 cm long, green, maturing to mid-brown after pollination. When fully open, their scales are at right angle or are reflexed to the central axis.
• Branches are stout, usually horizontal but often slightly drooping; twigs are slender, red-brown and finely hairy. Buds are small and round. Bark is thick and reddish brown, becoming fissured with age.