Eastern Hemlock
Eastern hemlocks can grow to heights of 100 feet or more at maturity, and they have limbs that can cover a large area of space. Eastern hemlocks are native to Massachusetts, and are also tolerant to shade, more so than most trees. These characteristics make the eastern hemlock an important tree on the Fairsted landscape. They are a key element in the layered effect Olmsted desired because of their height, the fact that their branches can be close to the ground, and the area that they cover is fairly dense due to the needles that sprout densely off their branches. These trees can be spotted in multiple places on the Fairsted landscape. Those on the southern edge of the property have large shrubs planted in front of them that cover the area where the hemlock branches do not quite reach the ground, creating a wall of green formed by varying colors and thicknesses of leaves. In contrast, there are also many large trees planted behind these hemlocks (on the Green Hill property); these trees add more greenery and depth to the area. The most notable hemlock is located on the planting island in the middle of the Circular Drive, on the eastern part of the property. This hemlock is a historic feature, originally planted by Olmsted. When it was planted, it was part of the design to be able to block out the house from people that were visiting, because Olmsted did not want people to focus on the house, and rather them focus on his landscape. Olmsted understood that, although hemlocks are somewhat slow-growing trees, the six-foot-tall sapling he planted would eventually grow to be very large in both height and width, and it would serve the purpose that Olmsted set out for it. Today, it creates one of the most iconic views on the Fairsted landscape.
