1 / 10

Larix laricina

tamarack

Pinaceae Boreal North America

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 2–5

Overview

Larix laricina, tamarack or eastern larch, is a deciduous conifer of the boreal forest, native across northern North America. It forms a slender, open, conical tree 30-65 feet (9-20 m) tall with a straight trunk and thin, scaly grey-brown bark. The soft needles are light blue-green, about 0.5-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) long, and grow in dense tufts of 10-20 on short woody spurs along the branches. Unlike most conifers it sheds its needles each autumn, turning a clear golden-yellow before they drop and leaving bare twigs through winter. Small egg-shaped cones about 0.5 inch (1-1.5 cm) long stand upright on the branches, green ripening to brown. The tree grows in cold sphagnum bogs, muskeg, and wet, acidic soils, as well as moist uplands, and withstands extreme winter cold well below -40F (-40C). It demands full sun and will not tolerate shade, and it is poorly suited to hot, dry, or alkaline conditions, which confine it to cool northern climates and cold wetlands.

Native Range

Native to northern North America, from Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland and south into the northeastern United States and the upper Great Lakes. It is a characteristic tree of the northern boreal forest and cold wetlands.

Suggested Uses

Used in cold-climate parks, large gardens, and naturalized wet sites and bog gardens for its golden autumn colour and open form. It suits wet, acidic ground where other trees fail. Its size and climate needs limit it to spacious northern landscapes.

How to Identify

Identify it by soft, light blue-green needles borne in tufts of 10-20 on short spur shoots, and by its habit of dropping all its needles in autumn after they turn gold. The small upright cones are about 0.5 inch (1-1.5 cm) long with few scales. In winter the bare, knobbly twigs and slender form set it apart from evergreen conifers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height30' - 65'

Width/Spread15' - 30'

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring

Small reddish female cones and yellow male cones appear in spring, in April and May, as the new needles emerge. Pollination is by wind. The young cones colour the branch tips briefly before ripening through summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

reddish female and yellow male cones

Foliage Description

light blue-green, golden-yellow in autumn

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range4.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat silt

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

cones in about 15-40 years; matures over decades

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Larix laricina grows in full sun on moist to wet, acidic soils and tolerates cold sphagnum bogs and poorly drained ground that few trees accept. It needs consistent moisture and a cool climate, performing poorly in heat, drought, and alkaline soil. It will not grow in shade and is quickly overtopped by taller trees on better sites. It needs little care where the climate suits it and is largely pest-free, though larch sawfly and larch casebearer can defoliate it. No routine feeding is needed in suitable ground. It is planted from young nursery stock while dormant.

Pruning

Prune in late winter while dormant to take out dead or damaged wood and to keep a single leader. The natural conical form needs little shaping. Heavy cutting into old wood regrows slowly and is generally avoided.