The tree produces both male and female flowers which appear along with the needles in spring. Male flowers are yellow-green and female flowers are red. Fertilized female flowers produce a small upright cone which remains on the branch for 2 growing seasons. The tiny seeds are wind dispersed once ripened from reddish-purple to brown.
Family | Pine |
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Season Bloom | Spring |
Habitat | The Tamarack or Larch is a deciduous pine tree. It is not an evergreen as we most often think of pines. It has a slender trunk with bright green, almost chartreuse, needles in spring, aging to medium green all summer, turning golden yellow in fall before dropping. Its branches are mostly horizontal. It is a larval host of the Columbia Silkmoth and is used by birds and butterflies. |
Cycle | |
Height | 50-75' |
Leaf Description | Leaves are pale to medium green needles that are soft and grow tightly clumped on side shoots. Needles form in groups of 15-20 and are short, about an inch long. |
Soil Type | Wet |
Light Source | Sun |
Location | Woodland |