Plants for Birds Mountain Hemlock

Mountain Hemlock Tsuga mertensiana

Photo by Mick Thompson, Eastside Audubon

Photo by MickHairy Thompson, Eastside Woodpecker Audubon (Picoides villosus)

The Hairy woodpecker is often seen foraging along main branches and trunks of large trees. These woodpeckers sometimes also follow sapsuckers and Pileated woodpeckers to see if anything was behind in the holes already pecked.

About 75% of this bird’s diet is insects, while it also will eat seeds and fruits. This bird is often seen at bird feeders feasting on suet or sunflower seeds.

These industrious birds can be found in a variety of forest types and will make a cavity in which to nest in the dead stub of a living tree or in a dead tree. Leaving dead trees, and dead parts of living trees, in yards can attract a variety of cavity nesters. Photos by Fayla Schwartz, Washington Native Plant Society

Mountain Hemlock

Mountain hemlock can grow to over 100 feet in mountain regions, but is slow growing and generally stays smaller in formal landscaping.

This hemlock mixes well with other northwest natives that are popular with wildlife, such as evergreen huckleberry and salal. Juncos, siskins, chickadees, finches and crossbills eat the seeds of the Mountain hemlock and its larger cousin, the Western hemlock.

The Western hemlock (the state tree of Washington) prefers partial shade and provides shelter and nesting space for cavity nesting birds, such as the Hairy woodpecker. Mountain hemlocks, though tolerant of shade, prefer a more open setting.