Tamarack Other common names: Hackmatack, eastern larch, American larch, Alaska larch, juniper Scientific name: Larix laricina
Tamarack trees can reach up to 15-25 m tall and 9 m wide.
The needles are flexible, tightly clumped and 2-5 cm long. They are green until autumn comes, which is when they turn bright yellow and then falls off.
OLD
YOUNG
Young tamarack trees have grayish/reddish brown bark with irregular scales. Adult tamarack trees have grayer and more scaly bark with a red-purple inner layer.
The young seed cones grow 5-10 mm long. They are either red, pink or yellow/green. Adult cones are 1-2 cm long and they are light brown.
Distribution range Ecological Importance - Provides material to build nests for birds in North America - White-throated sparrows and warblers live in the branches during the summer - White porcupines eat inner bark - Used for medical purposes (inner bark: infections and wounds outer bark: aches and pains) - The saplings and seeds are consumed by birds, snowshoe hares and squirrels - Used for building (house frames, railroads, fences, poles and pulpwood - Needles creates teas - Shelters bears, deer, and moose from the heat in summer Indigenous perspective - The tea created from the needles gives vitamin C, a prevention of scurvy for AT HSC: the Mi’kmaq people and settlers. Willow Landing - Mi’kmaq people used the Tamaracks’ bark and wood to make canoes, paddles, drums, toboggans and snowshoes. COORDINATES: - Settles used the wood to build ships. 43.23916, - Roots of tamarack are helpful to sew bark onto canoes. - Comes from Algonquin name “wood used for snowshoes” -79.897507 and
Conservations Status: Least Concern
43.239114, -79.89716