Weeping Hemlock for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on October 7, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your Weeping Hemlock where it will receive at least 4 hours of sun a day, in soil that drains well. If you are in the southern end of its range, avoid planting it in full sun. Unpot your shrub and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the bush in the hole, spreading out the roots. Holding it upright and steady, fill in around it with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone, but keep them from touching the trunk, which can encourage rot.

Watering and nutrients

When newly planted, water your shrub every few days until established. Weeping Hemlock likes moist, but not wet, soil. Water whenever the soil is dry 2 inches below the surface, or roughly once a week. Fertilize in spring with a balanced, slow-release product that is formulated for evergreens or one that is designed for landscape trees and shrubs.

Pollination

Like other conifers, Weeping Hemlock has cones rather than flowers, and these are the agents of pollination. The trees are monoecious, meaning that a single tree has both male and female reproductive parts. Pollinated cones have seeds that are spread by the wind and offer a winter food source for birds and small animals.

Pruning

Pruning your Weeping Hemlock is optional, and most gardeners leave the tree to assume its natural, graceful shape without extensive trimming. It can, however, be pruned lightly to control shape and size. In addition, you should monitor your shrub for dead, diseased or damaged limbs, which should be trimmed out whenever they are seen.

Pests, diseases and animals

Weeping Hemlock is generally disease- and pest-resistant. Pests that are attracted to hemlocks include Japanese weevils and wooly adelgids, which leave a white mass along the branches. Selective use of insecticides when needed may help control infestations. Diseases of the hemlock include butt rot fungus and root rot fungus. Keep the area around the base of the shrub free of leaf litter and debris, and always water at the base of the trunk to avoid wetting the foliage when possible.

Achieving maximum results

Knowing how to best place your Weeping Hemlock to take advantage of its unique shape and texture is one way to achieve maximum results. It is an excellent specimen planting, placed carefully in a front yard and surrounded by gravel or lower-growing perennials. Because it can handle partial shade, consider using it in a spot that gets less sun, in conjunction with shade-loving plants such as astilbe and Japanese forest grass. It will also stand out when planted in a woodland garden that features dappled sunlight and would look splendid in a rock garden or Asian-inspired garden.

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