Eastern Hemlock - Tsuga canadensis

Green needles that are flat and have rounded tips. They range in length, but are mostly around 10 mm long. The underside of the needles is silvery and has two stomatal bands. Stomatal bands have stoma, which are like little pores that facilitate gas exchange.

It's a really slow-growing evergreen and can take 250 to 300 years to reach maturity. It makes good shelter for many bird species, and is a valuable food source for deer, porcupines, and squirrels. It's also used medicinally as a tea (bark or needles), but it is bitter.

Habitat: Streamside in a mixed forest