- Larix, from the Latin for larch
- laricina, from the Latin for larch
- Common Name, from the Native American word Hackmatack
- Other common names include Eastern Larch, Alaskan Larch, American
Larch, Tamarack Larch, Hackmatack, tamarac, épinette
rouge, violon (Qué), mélèze laricin, mélèze
d'Amerique (FR), mýralerki (IS)
- Kingdom Plantae, the Plants
- Division Coniferophyta, the Conifers
- Class Pinopsida
- Order Pinales
- Family Pinaceae, the Pines, Spruce, and Firs
- Genus Larix - 10 species of deciduous,
coniferous trees of cool, temperate regions of the
northern hemisphere, 3 native to North America.
- Taxonomic Serial Number: 183412
- Also known as Pinus laricina, Larix alaskensis
- Widely distributed species with considerable genetic variation.
- A small to medium-sized, deciduous conifer, with a sparse, open, narrow,
conical crown, to 50'-75' high.
- Leaves flat ¾"-1" needles in clusters
of 10-20 on dwarf twigs, light green turning yellow in fall.
- Trunk straight, to 14"-20" diameter, occasionally
- Branches whorled, horizontal or slightly ascending.
Self-pruning; by 25-30 years trunks generally clear of branches
for half their length or more.
- Twigs slender, orange-brown, smooth, with
numerous short, spur branches.
- Buds rounded, dark red with loose scales.
- Bark thin, smooth, and grey when young, becoming
thick, rough,reddish brown, and scaly; inner layer red-purple.
- Roots shallow (to 18") and spreading wider than the
tree is high.
- Flowers monoecious
- Males yellowish, small and round in clusters near
- Females reddish brown, numerous scales, egg shaped,
appearing in May
- Fruit a small, erect, egg-shaped cone, ½"-¾"
, reddish-brown (becoming brown with age), usually on curved stalks
and persisting through winter.
- Seed with bodies 2mm-3mm, wings 4mm-6mm.
- Age expectancy about 180 years; older trees are known.
- Identifiable as the only deciduous conifer of the region. Known in
the short summer by its short, soft needles and tiny cones.
- Distinguished from spruces and firs by its short soft needles in clusters.
- Field Marks
- Short, soft deciduous needles
- Small egg-shaped cones
- Alaska to Newfoundlland, south to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
and New Jersey.
- Cold, wet/moist, poorly drained sites such as swamps, bogs, and muskeg;
stream, lake, and swamp edges; and occasionally uplands. Boreal forests
in wet, poorly drained sphagnum bogs and muskegs, also on moist upland
mineral soils; It thrives on acidic, poorly drained soils and does not
tolerate warmer climates or dry substrates
- Soils most commonly wet/moist organic soils, such
as sphagnum or woody peat, especially nutrient-poor, acid peatlands
- Most common on peatlands; actually grows best on well-drained loamy
soils along streams, lakes, and seeps, and on mineral soils with a shallow
organic overlay. Uncommon on these sites in the southern portion of
its range because of competition from other trees.
- Shade intolerant; tends to cast light shade and have
a dense undergrowth of shrubs.
- Succeeded by other conifers as peat firms up; on
poorly drained sites by Black Spruce (Picea
mariana); on rich sites by Black Spruce, followed by Balsam
Fir (Abies balsamea), White Cedar
(Thuja occidentalis), and eventually
- Pioneer species; often first tree to invade open
bogs and burned peatlands; first tree to pioneer floating sphagnum mats.
- Phenology: Minnesota
- Buds begin to swell early to late April
- Needles begin to emerge mid-April to mid-May
- Flowering late April to early May
- Seedfall begins early September; nearly complete by late October
- Needles shed mid-September to mid-October
- Insects: Larch Sawfly most destructive pest with
periodic epidemics defoliating stands over large areas and killing many
trees. (Trees die after 6-9 years of heavy defoliation.) Larch Casebearer
also cause extensive mortality in some areas. Spruce Budworm, Larch
Bud Moth, Spruce Spider Mite, Larch Shoot Moth, and several bark beetles
also infest Tamarack but seldom cause serious injury.
- Disease and rust resistant.
- Killed easily due to thin bark and shallow roots.
- Seeds have no endosperm to protect them from high
temperatures so are usually destroyed by fire.
- Cones not necessarily destroyed by summer fires,
but immature seeds will not ripen on fire-killed trees.
- Regeneration dependent on seed from surviving trees.
Pockets in boggy/swampy areas often escape burning; provide seed for
postfire recovery. Because seed is dispersed over short distances, is
not well adapted to rapid reseeding of large burns.
- Burned organic surfaces favor seedling establishment. Within a few
years reproduction is often localized; centered around areas of surviving
- Trees: Balsam Fir (Abies
balsamea), Red Maple (Acer rubrum),
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera),
Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra),
White Spruce (Picea glauca),
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa), White
Pine (Pinus strobus), Quaking
Aspen (Populus tremuloides),
White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
- Shrubs: Speckled Alder (Alnus
incana), Bog Rosemary (Andromeda
glaucophylla), Bog Birch (Betula
pumila), Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne
calyculata), Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus
sericea), Labrador Tea (Ledum
groenlandicum), Willows (Salix spp.), Blueberries
- Herbs: Sedges (Carex ssp.), Stemless Ladyslipper
(Cypripedium acaule), Cotton Grass (Eriophorum
spp.), Bog False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina trifolia), Blue
Bead Lily (Clintonia borealis),
Dwarf Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera
repens), Tall Northern Bog Orchid (Habenaria hyperborea),
Blunt Leaf Orchid (Habenaria obtusata), Indian Pipe (Monotropa
uniflora), Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda
cinnamomea), Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia
purpurea), Starflower (Trientalis
- Ground Covers: Sphagnum and other mosses
- Mammals: Snowshoe hares feed on twigs and bark; porcupines
on the inner bark; red squirrels cut and cache the cones; mice, voles,
and shrews consume large numbers of seeds off the ground. Generally
avoided by Moose and white tailed deer. Limited cover value because
it sheds its needles in the winter and tends to occur in open stands.
- Birds: Spruce, blue, and sharp-tailed grouse eat
the needles and buds; Pine Siskin, Crossbills, and other birds eat the
seeds. In northern Minnesota, ospreys prefer to nest in dead Tamarack;
Bald Eagles occasionally nest in Tamarack.
- During the last Ice Age, a part of the vast White Spruce forest which
covered the Great Plains, just south of the windswept tundra bordering
the great ice sheets. One of the earliest species, along with spruce,
to follow the retreating ice northward.
- Native Americans used the roots for cordage, the
wood for arrow shafts, and the bark for medicine. Roots were used by
Ojibwe for sewing the edges of canoes and making woven bags.
- Early Americans used the soft needles for stuffing
pillows and mattresses and used the roots of large trees for ship building.
Widely used in wooden ships, for timbers, planking, and to join ribs
to deck timbers.
- Inner bark was used to treat melancholy.
- Wood medium to fine texture, with silvery cast and an oily feel, lacking
distinctive odor or taste. Sapwood white and narrow (less than 1"
wide); heartwood yellow to russet brown. Intermediate in strength, stiffness,
and hardness while moderately high in shock resistance. Specific Gravity
.49 green to .53 dry.
- Wood generally works well, but may have a blunting effect on tools.
It has a tendency to split when nailed, is low in paint retention, and
is difficult to penetrate with preservatives. Rated moderately resistant
to heartwood decay.
- Not a major commercial timber species, used primarily for pulpwood
in the US.
- Because the wood is heavy, durable, and decay-resistant, it is also
used for posts, poles, mine timbers, and railroad ties and, less commonly,
for rough lumber, fuelwood, boxes, and crates.
- Although fast growing under ideal circumstances, it is not widely
grown commercially because of its susceptibility to insect damage and
- The bark tannin has been used for tanning leather.
- Sometimes planted as an ornamental.
- Reproduces by seed and vegetatively by layering.
- Seed Production begins at about 15 years in open
stands; 35-40 years in closed stands. Large quantities usually not produced
until 40 years of age. Best cone crops from 50-150 year old open stands,
with individual trees sometimes producing as many as 20,000 cones in
a good year. Good seed crops produced every 3-6 years.
- Seed Dispersal in fall over a relatively short time
period, beginning about September 1st in Minnesota with about 98% having
fallen by October 31. Primarily wind dispersed, but red squirrels spread
some. Most wind-dispersed seeds fall within two tree heights of parent
- Seed loss due to small mammals (mice, voles, shrews)
consuming large quantities of seed off the ground, destroying up to
half of seed crop. Seeds on the ground susceptible to bacteria and fungi.
Only about 4%-5% of seed that reaches ground germinates.
- Seed Viability only about 1 year after dispersal.
- Germination from 30%-60%. Seeds require a moist but
unsaturated substrate, prefering warm, moist mineral or organic soil
free from competing vegetation. Slow-growing sphagnum mosses also provide
a good seedbed, as they tend to remain moist. In open swampy habitats,
seedlings are often found on sphagnum mosses.
- Seedlings intolerant of shade and flooding; surviving
but a few years in shade, mere weeks when partially submerged.
- Layering a dominant mode of reproduction at the northern
limit of range; uncommon in southern range but can occur when when lower
branches become covered with litter or fast-growing mosses.
- Can produce root sprouts up to 30' from parent tree.
- By seed, sown at depth of about ¼". Does not exhibit dormancy
and can be planted in spring or fall without stratification.
- Easily propagated by cuttings taken from young trees.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 3 (average minimum annual temperature -40ºF)
- Cultural Requirements
- Full sun to partial shade.
- Soil poorly drained to well drained; high in organic matter, pH
- Wet to medium moisture.
- Size 15'-25'W x 50'-75'H
- Growth rate rapid under optimal conditions.
- Available by mail order from specialty suppliers or at local nurseries.
- Shade intolerant; should not be planted with fast-growing
- European Larch (Larix decidua), a non-native species, is
also commonly planted in the landscape. It resembles Tamarack, but has
drooping branches, longer needles, and bark with large plates.
Last updated on
18 August, 2004