WESTERN LARCH (aka Tamarack)
(Larix occidentalis)
Size at 150 years:
100-160 feet tall, 1 1/2 to 3 feet in diameter
Life Span:
500+ years
Needles:
Crowded deciduous in a cluster of 14-30, 1/2" long on spur twigs. Turn brilliant gold in the fall, then drop to the ground.
Cones:
1 to 1 1/2" long with bract protruding from each cone scale.
Bark:
Reddish-brown. Flat plates on mature trees.
Where to find:
Mountain slopes and valleys on gravelly, sandy or loamy soils. Often found in mixed forests.
Things to know:
Often follows or survives fires. Grouse eat buds and leaves. Valuable wood for construction, paneling, flooring, and utility poles. Highly sought as hot, clean burning firewood. Changes color with season.
View photos of this tree.
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