In Europe and North America, it is occasionally encountered as an ornamental species and was first brought to the United Kingdom in 1838.

The bark is a similar to that of an old larch: somewhat pinkish to grey-brown and heavily ridged with broad, shallow, flaky fissures.

The twigs are reddish brown or greyish yellow in their first year and are pubescent, i.e. covered with short hairs.

[3] The leaves are spirally arranged, pointing forward on the branches and placed distantly from one another compared to other species in the genus Tsuga.

The upper surface of the leaves is green and shiny, while the undersides have 2 wide silvery stomatal bands.

The seeds are about 9 mm (0.4 inches) long, ovate in shape, brown in colour and have thin wings in their upper parts.

The range continues southeast to northern Myanmar and Vietnam, and northeast to southeastern Tibet, northwestern Yunnan and southwestern Sichuan.