Eastern Larch, Tamarack Tree
Larix Laricina
Family: Pinaceae
Pictures taken by the Twin Groves Virtual Wetlands Team at Indian Lake, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, Illinois. Spring of 1998.
Description of the Tamarack Tree:
The Eastern Larch or Tamarack Tree is a very unusual and interesting tree. The Tamarack tree is a perennial, gymnosperm that is native to the Upper Lake States of the United States (Week, Parker 2005). What makes this tree so unusual is that it is a Deciduous Conifer, meaning that it is a member of the Pinaceae family which is most commonly evergreens but the Tamarack looses its needles every year. The tree usually grows to heights of around 30 to 75 feet, but some are known to reach heights of 95 feet (Twin Groves 1999). The wood is known to be very hard and also very durable. The needles of the tree are about 2 inches long and bluish green, and they are usually triangular in shape (Weeks, Parker 2005). These needles will turn brown and fall of in the fall a very rare trait in pine bearing trees. The Tamarack tree is known to live for around 150 years (Weeks, Parker 2005). The bark of the Tamarack Tree varies in the age of the tree. The younger trees tend to have a very smooth bark, whereas the older more mature trees tent to have a rough scaly bark.
- The native range of tamarack.
Life History of the Tamarack Tree:
The Tamarack in history has been used for a many of things. One of the biggest uses for the Tamarack tree was for producing poles as the wood is very sturdy and durable. This would also be used to produce ships and other things that require a strong durable wood. Also the Tamarack Tree has been used for pulp to be made into paper.
Reproduction of Tamarack Tree:
The Tamarack tree is monoecious; the tree begins producing yellow male flowers on branches typically 1 to 2 years old. The Red female flowers are produces on branches ranging from 2 to 4 years of age. Tamarack bears good seed crops at intervals of 3 to 6 years, with some seed produced in intervening years. Seed production in large quantities generally begins at about 40 years, the optimum age being about 75 years. (Larix laricina last updated 2006). The Tamarack tree has a blooming period that begins in the mid spring. It produces a very high abundance of both fruit and seed. The fruiting period begins in the summer and ends in the fall. (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch last updated 2008) The pollen cones appear along the twigs mainly on the lower part of the tree. Seed conelets appear typically on the upper parts of the tree, but both can occur on the same branch. The cones produced by the Tamarack are around ¾ of and inch in size, having a few thin scale, and will ripen in the fall (Week, Parker 2005).
Habitat and Threats:
The tamarack tree is very interesting when it comes to habitat. The Tamarack tree typically makes its home in both boreal forests and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biomes. Some people even have tamarack trees on their own property here in Ohio. The Tamarack typically lives in poorly drained soils near lakes, pond, or rivers. Since the tamarack tree is composed of thin needles it spreads a light shadow of shade on the ground. This allows for a lot of other plants to grown under the tree. This makes for very dense vegetation.
There are few things that actually threaten the tamarack tree. One thing that does however threaten the tree is fire. The tamarack has a very thin bark and its seeds have no endosperm to protect them from heat, so a fire will kill them very easily. Also the tamarack is shade intolerant. This means that if a lot of shade is cast upon the tamarack it will die.
The only way to protect the tamarack and its environment from fire would be to not start them. If humans don’t start fires then more than likely fire wont spark in the tamarack environment due to its wet environment. If a fire would start around the tamaracks it would likely kill all of them. So remember kids in the words of Smokey the Bear, “Only you can prevent forest fires!”
Bibliography:
2. http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/larix/laricina.htm
4. Weeks S. Weeks Jr. H. Parker G 2005. Native Trees of the Midwest. Easter Larch, tamarack pg. 40-41
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