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Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch

Larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionConiferophytaConifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs)
ClassPinopsidaGymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews
OrderPinalesCone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others
FamilyPinaceaePine family: cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces
GenusLarixFrom Ancient Greek λάριξ (lárix), larch
SpecieslaricinaLarix (“larch”) +‎ -īnus: larch-like

About plant names...

Tamaracks are native to cooler regions of North America, especially Canada and the northeastern United States. Tamarack is an Algonquin name for “wood used for snowshoes.” They prefer acid soils and cool, moist sites, including swamps and bogs.

Plants: Trees are 33-66′ (10-20 m) tall, with trunks up to 2′ (60 cm) in diameter. While most cool climate conifers are evergreen, retaining their needles in winter, tamaracks are deciduous, dropping them. Branches are in whorls, reaching straight out or lifting slightly. (Many conifers have downward-angled branches, the classic Christmas tree shape, helpful in shedding snow loads, but since tamaracks are deciduous, this isn’t an issue.) Branches are relatively sparse. They fall away from lower parts of the tree over time. In younger trees, the bark is smooth and gray. Older trees have thick, rough, reddish brown, scaly bark, which flakes away to reveal a reddish-purple layer. Twigs are orange-brown and smooth, but with many short branches.

Leaves: Tight spirals of bumps called spurs surround twigs. Each spur contains a spray of needle-like leaflets ¾-1″ (2-3 cm) in length, flat, and light bluish-green to bright green in color. Leaves turn yellow in the fall.

Flowers: Tamaracks are monoecious: male and female reproductive organs (flowers) occur on the same tree. (In dioecious species, some plants have male reproductive structures while others have female.) Male flowers are yellowish, small and rounded in clusters near branch tips. Female flowers are reddish brown, egg-shaped, with many scales.

Fruits: Small upward-pointing egg-shaped cones, reddish-brown, maturing to brown, ⅜-⅞″ (1-2.3 cm). They remain through the winter.

Online References:

Earl J.S. Rook's Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky ... The Natural History of the Northwoods

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity

Conifersociety.org

Wikipedia

The Gymnosperm Database

Www.lakeforest.edu

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/17/2010 · Mackworth Island, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 27 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

11/4/2013 · Mackworth Island, Falmouth, Maine

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

9/16/2016 · Sieur de Monts Botanical Gardens, Bar Harbor, Maine

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/17/2010 · Mackworth Island, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/31/2006 · Baxter Island, Falmouth, Maine · By Constance B. Kent

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

6/15/2013 · Sonny and Donna’s, Tenant’s Harbor, Maine

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

5/22/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

6/16/2013 · Birch Point State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

Larix alaskensis W. Wight

Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch var. alaskensis (W. Wight) Raup

Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch ssp. alaskensis (W. Wight) Silba

 

Larix laricina description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 22 Aug 2020.

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Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

6/16/2013 · Sonny and Donna’s, Tenant’s Harbor, Maine · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

11/4/2013 · Mackworth Island, Falmouth, Maine

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/31/2006 · Baxter Island, Falmouth, Maine · By Constance B. Kent

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

8/22/2020 · Kettle Hole Bog, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/31/2006 · Baxter Island, Falmouth, Maine · By Constance B. Kent

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/31/2006 · Baxter Island, Falmouth, Maine · By Constance B. Kent

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

Out of its northern range here, but it may have been planted on this roadside. · 8/31/2007 · Deschutes National Forest, Ore­gon

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

8/22/2020 · Kettle Hole Bog, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, Maine · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Larix laricina (larch, tamarack, American larch, hackmatack, Eastern larch, black larch, red larch, tamarack trees)

7/31/2006 · Baxter Island, Falmouth, Maine · By Constance B. Kent

Range:

About this map...