Excerpt:
Stand under Hemlock and breathe in the cool, moist, blue shade.  Flexible, long lived, intolerant of pollution, host to Reishi mushrooms, Hemlock reproduces in their own shade, becoming a component of a self-perpetuating homogenous climax forest.  They have long found their home in the Eastern United States, where they are one of the largest conifers. Hemlock is a foundation species in their forest, creating a very particular ecosystem, managing their flora and fauna kin, and determining key ecosystem processes such as energy flux and biogeochemical cycles. Long lived up to 800 years, they find their home in cool, damp places. Their slender short needles remain on the branches for three years before being released into a spongy soft humus, creating a unique forest ecosystem. Walk in a Hemlock forest and your footsteps will be almost silent on the soft springy forest floor.