Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Identifying hemlock woolly adelgid Photo by Becca MacDonald, Sault College, ĭouglas fir. Photo by Rob Routledge, Sault College, īalsam fir. Photo by Bill Cook, Michigan State University Įastern hemlock. Photo by Tom DeGomez, University of Arizona, Įastern hemlock. Davis Sydnor, The Ohio State University, Īustrian pine. Eastern hemlock needles can be distinguished from fir needles by their shape: they are slightly wider at the base and taper to a rounded tip with a dull point, while fir and Douglas fir needles have parallel sides for nearly the entire length of the needle. The only other conifers with short, flat needles are firs and Douglas fir, which is technically not a fir. However, the undersides of Douglas fir and balsam fir needles may also have pale white stripes, so you will need to look at the shape of the needles to distinguish hemlocks.

The underside of hemlock needles have pale white stripes, which will distinguish them from pines and spruces. You can roll pine and spruce needles between your fingers, but not the flat hemlock needles. Hemlock needles are only about a half-inch long, which is much shorter than most pine needles. Hemlocks can be distinguished from pine and spruce by their short, flat needles.

To see current infestation maps, visit the HWA page on the Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development website.īe sure your tree is a hemlock: Identifying hemlock treesīefore looking for hemlock woolly adelgid, make sure your tree is a hemlock and not a fir, pine or spruce tree. As of May 2017, hemlock woolly adelgid (also referred to as HWA) had been found in localized areas of Allegan, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties, and additional surveys are underway. Hemlock woolly adelgid is established in isolated locations in the western Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

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