I bought mine at Emery's Garden last year. I tried it in a pot but it didn't like it so I've recently moved it into the ground.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1080322}}

It depends on what you are looking for - the "small, thin and twisted" are generally wild harvested trees (with a permit - all approved and OK) and that look is very indicative of their alpine or subalpine growing conditions and is very much in demand with a certain type of retail customer. Larger, fuller and more regular shaped trees are field grown specimens and tend to be less widely available as the demand is not as strong but they do exist.

FWIW, collected or harvested trees often have a compromised root system due to both their growing conditions (i.e., rocky cliffs)and to the harvesting methods. If not excessively compromised and with good aftercare, in a cultivated garden with decent soil, good drainage and adequate watering, these will very often fill out and grow into very handsome, large trees.

Try looking at retail outlets that specialize in a wide conifer selection - Wells Medina or Emery's are a couple. And sometimes outlying retail nurseries that offer landscaping services or also cater to the wholesale trade like Olympic Nursery in Woodinville or Savage Plants on the Kitsap Peninsula will have a bigger selection of larger stock. FWIW, most retail nurseries bring in the bulk of their tree stock for the season in late winter or early spring - you are unlikely to find too much additional new stock later in the year.

In 2006 Savage Plants didn't have any larger mountain hemlocks.... just little ones. I haven't been in there since 2006 though. I would check Bainbridge Gardens; they might have some large ones. Peninsula Gardens in Gig Harbor has a bunch of them in various sizes but that might be farther away than you want to travel.

FWIW---I have 2 Mountain Hemlocks and a Noble Fir in my yard that I never thought would survive (usually a higher elevation specimen). If you are patient, I collected these 30 years ago when we were up in the hills above Skate Creek Road (between Ashford and Packwood)while out getting our annual Christmas tree (with permits). They were only a couple ft. tall. They didn't grow tall for many years though they were healthy, but in the last 15 years or so they all took off and now the hemlocks are at least 30 ft tall and the noble is almost 20'. One of the Hemlocks is next to my sidewalk and we keep one side sheared---makes a nice "hedge-like" area along the sidewalk. Very thick!

They seemed to have taken off when we installed the sprinkler system and they were watered regularly!

I've not had much luck planting evergreens during the growing season, better to wait until they are dormant.

You can contact the Forest Service in the area you want to collect, and you can get a permit. If I remember correctly they are free or very cheap. Don't try to collect without one---they DO check!

Good Luck!

Linda

Just bought one today at Savage Nursery. They have about 6 really nice ones, around 2 feet tall, but very full, in 15 gallon pots. They are $45.