Western Hemlock vs. Sitka Spruce Tree: 3 Differences Between These Towering Giants

There are areas along the western coast where you will come across forests that have both western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Though these trees look rather similar to the untrained eye, there are some differences between the trees. To learn more about the evergreen trees western hemlock vs. Sitka spruce, keep reading.

The article will not only cover a quick comparison of the main categorical differences between the two tree species but also a few of the major differences you need to know to truly understand how these two plants operate.

A Quick Comparison of the Western Hemlock vs. Sitka Spruce Tree

Key Differences Between the Western Hemlock vs. Sitka Spruce Tree

If that information is overwhelming, don’t worry. The differences below are the major ones. They’ll allow you to quickly identify one plant over the other, and let you learn the main characteristics of each species.

Growth

Sitka spruce grows quickly and needs a lot of sunshine. You’ll find their saplings in places where there’s a lot of sunshine. While these spruce trees do well in older parts of their forest, the younger plants need a lot more space.

On the other hand, western hemlock grows a lot slower. They don’t shoot up. However, shade is no problem for this species. They often grow under the spruce. Eventually, the hemlocks grow to a similar size as the spruce.

Right now, in the forests where these two trees grow together, the spruce dominates the landscape, but in a few dozen years, the landscape might change to where hemlocks are the dominating plant.

Appearance

The two trees look rather different as well. It’s hard to tell them apart at a glance, or to the untrained eye, but there are key differences that will help you identify one from the other.

To start with, there’s the Sitka spruce. These trees have dark green needles that grow singularly instead of in clumps. The needles are sharp on the ends and somewhat square. Their bark looks a lot like scales. They grow in circular shapes that flake off.

Meanwhile, the western hemlock looks a little different. It has flat needles. The ends are also blunt, and won’t hurt you when you touch them. The needles are soft and shiny. The bark is fairly stringy in appearance. As the tree grows older, the bark thickens and develops furrows.

Range

Stika spruces have a decent range. They grow primarily along the western coast. They are in a narrow strip along the coast so they’re never far from water. Their range starts from the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska and goes all the way down to Cape Mendocino in the northern area of California. Sitka spruce is fairly adaptable and though it works best in hardiness Zone 6, it does well in Zones 6 to 8.

Western hemlock has a slightly larger range. It goes from Kenai Peninsula in Alaska down to central California’s coast. It runs along the coast, much like the Sitka spruce. However, what makes its range slightly different is that it’s also found in the Rocky Mountains. However, despite this wider range, they only do well in hardiness Zone 6.