# tamarack (*Larix laricina*) The tamarack is a special tree that loves wet places like swamps! In the fall, its needles turn bright yellow before falling off, making it look like it's wearing a golden dress. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![tamarack](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/2012-09-27_P1250090_%2829%29_DDumais.jpg&width=800) Photo: Daniel Dumais, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2012-09-27_P1250090_%2829%29_DDumais.jpg) ## Appearance The tamarack is a slender, conical conifer with short, soft, bluish-green needles that grow in small bundles. Uniquely, its needles turn a dazzling golden-yellow in autumn before dropping, making it stand out from other evergreen conifers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Pinopsida - **Order:** Pinales - **Family:** Pinaceae - **Genus:** Larix ## Interesting facts - It's the only conifer in North America whose soft needles turn dazzling gold and fall off each autumn! - Its name "tamarack" comes from an Indigenous word meaning "wood used for snowshoes" due to its flexible branches. - Look closely, its short, soft needles grow in neat little bundles, not one by one like pine needles. - Tamaracks are super tough, thriving in cold, soggy bogs where most other trees cannot grow. ## Special abilities - **Winter Shedder:** Tamarack has deciduous needles that fall off in winter, helping it conserve water and survive extreme cold temperatures. - **Bog Pioneer:** Tamarack can grow in acidic, waterlogged bogs where most other trees can't survive, making it a wetland specialist. - **Fire Resistor:** Tamarack has relatively thick bark and can quickly re-establish after forest fires, helping it thrive in boreal forests. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 2000-4000 cm - **Spread:** 500-1000 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Snowshoe Hare](https://www.snappit.app/explore/snowshoe-hare) (*Lepus americanus*) — They browse on young tamarack twigs in winter for food. - **Shelter:** [Boreal Chickadee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/boreal-chickadee) (*Poecile hudsonica*) — Nests and forages among its branches in northern forests. - **Eaten by:** Porcupine (*Erethizon dorsatum*) — Eats the inner bark of tamarack trees for nutrients. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Cold Hardy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cold-hardy): Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage. - [Coniferous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coniferous): Coniferous plants are typically evergreen, bearing needles or scales and reproductive cones. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Timber](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/timber): Timber refers to wood that has been prepared for use in building and carpentry. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Stay on paths when exploring around trees to keep safe and protect nature. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify tamarack? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is tamarack? 2000-4000 cm ### How wide does tamarack spread? 500-1000 cm ### When does tamarack bloom? Spring ### Is tamarack edible? No ### Is tamarack toxic? None ### What is tamarack's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is tamarack pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Black Tern Bog State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-tern-bog-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park - [Ice Age Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ice-age-trail) — Wisconsin, US · National Park - [Kal-Haven Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kal-haven-trail) — Michigan, US · Trail - [Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stevens-coolidge-house-and-gardens) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Canaan Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canaan-street-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grandma-lake-wetlands-state-natural-area) — Wisconsin, US · State Park [View all places to see tamarack](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tamarack) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Tamarack: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tamarack)