Unlike them, the leaves are in two ranks, forming a flat appearance like Bald Cypress. They are also shorter than Spruce leaves. The cones are very small, which is another distinguishing characteristic. The narrow branches often bow down on very tip. On the SMSU campus, there is one very nice Canadian Hemlock, on the Northeast Corner of McDonald arena.
Cones are very small and leaves are short and two-ranked.
Some of the largest trees on Earth exist in this family. Giant Sequoia attains the largest diameter of any tree and has individuals more than 4000 years old. This tree has perhaps the most unique history of any. It was discovered as a fossil around 60 years ago - 1 year before it was discovered to be living still. It had been confined to a small region in China.