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- Larix laricina
Larix laricina — American larch
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Facts
American larch (also known as tamarack) is the only New England conifer to drop its needles in the autumn and grow new ones in the spring. This hardy tree ranges far north into the tundra regions of Canada. Native Americans of northern New England and Canada used the roots of tamarack for stitching together birch-bark canoes, as the terpenes in tamarack wood make it very durable when wet.
Habitat
Bogs, fens
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are flattened (can't be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- the needle-like leaves are in clusters or held on short shoots
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are densely clustered on short shoots
- Seed cone shape
-
- the seed cone is globose (spherical)
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Winter bud shape
- the winter buds are globose (spherical, globe-shaped)
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed cone base
- NA
- Seed cone bracts
- the bracts protrude beyond the seed cone scales
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Seed cone scales
- NA
- Seed cone shape
-
- the seed cone is globose (spherical)
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Seed cone symmetry
- the seed cone is symmetrical
- Seed cone umbo position
- there is no raised portion on the seed cone scale
- Seed cone umbo spine
- NA
- Seed wings
- the seeds have wing-like projections
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- the needle-like leaves are in clusters or held on short shoots
- Leaf base
- NA
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are densely clustered on short shoots
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are flattened (can't be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf duration
- the needle-like leaves fall off in winter
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf glands
- there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
- Leaf stalks
- the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
- Leaf types
- there is only one type of needle-like leaf on the twig
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- bogs
- fens
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Bark resin blisters
- there are no resin blisters on the bark
- Leaves on shoots
- there are needle-like leaves growing in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hair type
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig hairs
- the twig does not have hairs
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state threatened (code: ST)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch N
American larch. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Hydric, organic soils, becoming occasional in wet-mesic or even mesic soils in the northern part of New England.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Larix decidua:
- branchlets pendulous, bark of main stem shedding as large, plate-like scales, and seed cones 2–3.5 cm long, with 40–50 scales (vs. L. laricina, with branchlets spreading, bark of main stem shedding as small, irregular scales, and seed cones 1–2 cm long, with mostly 10–15 scales).