Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from the perceived similarity in the smell of the crushed foliage to that of the unrelated herb Poison hemlock; see hemlock for other senses of the word. Unlike the herb, the species of Tsuga are not poisonous. The name Tsuga is the Japanese name for Tsuga sieboldii.

The genus includes nine species, four in North America and five in Asia. They are medium-size to large evergreen trees, 20-65 m tall, with conical to irregular crown shape and drooping branch tips. The leaves are needle-like, 8-40 mm long and 1.5-3 mm wide, arranged spirally on the stem but twisted at the base to lie flat on either side of the shoot; they are green above without stomata (except T. mertensiana, see below), and with two white stomatal bands below. The cones are pendulous, small (15-35 mm long; 35-70 mm in T. mertensiana), ovoid to cylindrical, and mature in autumn, 6-8 months after pollination. The seeds are very small, 2-4 mm long, with an 8-12 mm wing.

Western Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla is the largest species, reaching heights of 70 m. It is a particularly common timber tree in the Pacific Northwest of North America. It is also planted for timber in northwest Europe and other temperate areas with high rainfall and cool summers.

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