Western hemlock seedlings were grown in nutrient solutions with ammonium, nitrate or ammonium plus nitrate as nitrogen sources. The objectives were to examine (1) possible selectivity for ammonium or nitrate as an N source, (2) the maintenance of charge balance during ammonium and nitrate uptake, and (3) the activity of the nitrogen assimilating enzymes, nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamine dehydrogenase, in relation to the uptake of different nitrogen sources. The uptake studies revealed that western hemlock takes up ammonium faster than nitrate and that ammonium partially inhibits nitrate uptake. Nitrate reductase activity varied with nitrate availability in root tissue, but showed no response in needles, indicating that most nitrate is reduced in the roots. Results indicate that western hemlock may be adapted to sites where NH(4+) is the predominate N source.