Tsuga diversifolia
Tsuga diversifolia
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Tsuga diversifolia is found in central and southern Japan, where the climate is cool, with cold, snowy winters and abundant rainfall in the summer. The mean annual precipitation is in the range 1,000 - 2,500 mm[1]. It can tolerate occasional temperatures falling as low as -25°c[2]. Prefers a moist, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade[3]. Prefers cool, moist, woodland conditions in part shade locations, but tolerates full sun in the northern parts of its growing range. It is intolerant of drought and should be watered regularly in prolonged dry spells, particularly when plants are young[3]. Requires a position sheltered from strong winds[3]. The tree regenerates very well in the wild as it can tolerate dense shade when young - it forms pure stands in places[1]. As and ornamental tree it is planted in Japanese gardens and parks; it is also used in bonsai culture. In Europe and North America it is less commonly used, being slow growing and often remaining shrub-like for many years. A dwarf form (cultivar) which grows very slow is used for rockeries. Hemlocks are unsuitable as Christmas trees, because when cut and taken indoors they loose their leaves sooner than any other conifer[4, 1]
Propagation
Seed - it germinates better if given a short cold stratification[5, 6] and so is best sown in a cold frame in autumn to late winter. It can also be sown in early spring, though it might not germinate until after the next winter. If there is sufficient seed, an outdoor sowing can be made in spring[7]. Pot-grown seedlings are best potted up into individual pots once they are large enough to handle - grow them on in a cold frame and plant them out in early summer of the following year. Trees transplant well when they are up to 80cm tall, but they are best put in their final positions when they are about 30 - 45 cm or less tall, this is usually when they are about 5 - 8 years old[8]. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[8]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Tsuga+diversifolia>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
- [2]The Gymnosperm Database — http://www.conifers.org/index.htm ↩︎A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
- [3]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
- [4]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
- [5]Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. — McMillan-Browse. P. · Grower Books · 1985 · ISBN 0-901361-21-6 ↩︎Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
- [6]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
- [7]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
- [8]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [9]Flora of Japan — http://www.foj.info ↩︎An on-line version of the flora - an excellent resource.