Tsuga mertensiana

Mountain hemlock is in the pine or Pinaceae family and is native to the west coast of North America from central Alaska to northern California, mostly growing at high altitudes, typically on cold, snowy subalpine sites. It generally reaches a height of up to 40 m tall and diameter up to 2 m.

• Crown is conic with a drooping leader (top shoot).
• Needle-like leaves are 1.0–2.5 cm long, quite even length (compared to uneven lengths in western hemlock), spreading in all directions from twigs, somewhat 4-angled in cross-section, blunt-tipped, with 2 lines of stomata below and one above (unlike western hemlock).
• Seed cones are pendulous, non-fragmenting, much larger than other species of hemlock, cylindrical, 3 to 6 cm long and 1 cm wide when closed and opening up to 2.5 cm, with narrowed ends; scales broadly fan-shaped. They mature from green to purple, turning dark brown.
• Buds are oblong, 3–4 mm long; twigs are strongly hairy; bark is charcoal gray to reddish brown, scaly and deeply fissured.