Tamarack Tree

By MJCrave On March 5, 2011 Under Know Your Trees, Logging

Tamarack Tree

What is a Tamarack Tree?

Larch or Tamarack tree, comes from the genus of trees of pine and are unusual among the conifers. Tamarack tree grows mostly on the restricted cold parts of Northern hemisphere, in that they are deciduous, their soft, needle-like leaves, borne in dense clusters, drop in the fall, and new leaves do not appear until the following spring.

Tamarack Tree Facts

1. Tamarack tree bark and leaves

Tamarack tree is a small to medium-sized deciduous coniferous tree, that grows reaching about 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet), with a trunk diameter of 60 centimeters (40 inches). Its bark is kind of tight and flaky, brown in color, sometimes appears to be a bit reddish. Its leaves are needle-like in appearance, long and blue-green colored, and changes into bright yellow before they fall in autumn, leaving pinkish-brown shoots bare until the next spring.

2. Tamarack tree Cones

Larch cones are the smallest part of the tree. Its dimensions are 1 to 2.5 cm (0.4 to 0.9 inches) long, with 12 to 25 seeds inside. They are bright red in color which makes the tree more appealing to look at, and turns brown when it is about to release mature seeds, 4 to 6 months after pollination.

3. Distinct Features of the Tamarack Tree

There are about 10 to 20 needles borne in a Tamarack tree shoot.
The larch needles turn yellow in autumn.
The cones are bright red in color and about 2 cm long, which turns brown when the seeds are about to mature.
Tamarack or Larch trees basically grows in swamps, bogs, and other low-land areas.

Tamarack Tree Uses

Like any other trees, Tamarack tree is best both as an ornamental plant and its wood is best for crafted objects.

Tamarack tree is grown as an ornamental plant in cold regions in the north, and is a favorite tree for bonsai.

The bark of the Tamarack tree is a good use for medicinal purposes, according to Aboriginal Plant Use in Canada’s Northwest Boreal Forest. The inner bark is used as a poultice in trating wounds, frost bites, boils and hemorrhoids. On the other hand, the outer bark is used together with another plant as a treatment for arthritis, cold and general body aches.

Tamarack wood is described as tough and durable. That is why, it is mostly been chosen as a material for snow shoes and knees for wooden boats. When toughness is required, it is made as posts and poles. Other uses include as a firewood, lumber for wood houses, boat paddles, kitchenwares like spatulas, and handcrafted objects.

Tamarack Tree Damages

The Tamarack tree is susceptible to any rough damage that is inflected. Its bark is thin, risking for a fire damage. It can also be easily tumbled down by strong wind since it grows mostly on swampy areas, thus it can be easily uproot.

Insects and pests can also damage the Tamarack tree. The common one is the larch saw fly which is the most destructive, that surely gives the suppliers of Tamarack lumber a decline in their sales. However, there are also other parasites that feeds on the Tamarack tree causing serious injuries.

Only the needle rust is not a major problem on Tamarack since it can be prevented by spraying fungicide on the trees. Needle rust causes the needle leaves of the tamarack to turn brown with spots, affecting usually the tips. This is primarily caused by a fungus called Melampsora medusae.

Please Note: Our Logging company does not harvest single trees or just a few trees in a yard. If you own forested property with Tamarack trees and other species contact us to receive fair market value and a high quality harvesting job.

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