Tsuga mertensiana 'Elizabeth' / Elizabeth mountain hemlock

Tsuga mertensiana 'Elizabeth'

[Obrizok] Dwarf, upright, spreader, becoming wider than high, this is the only known spreading mountain hemlock.

Needles are a nice powder Blue, slightly shorter than those of the species. Branching is spreading. Older specimens are often seen with a depressed center, making them "nest-shaped" in appearance. Annual growth is normally around 4 to 6 inches (10 -15 cm), producing a shrubby tree 1.5 feet (45 cm) tall and 5 feet (1.6 m) wide after ten years.

Elsie Fry discovered 'Elizabeth' in Mt Rainier National Park, Washington, in 1940 and named it after her daughter, Elizabeth. Caperci’s Alpine Garden, Seattle, Washington, introduced it to the trade around 1984. This cultivar is now very easy to find in any good garden center and is a worthy addition to any conifer collection.