Tamarack
Larix laricina
Also listed as Larix alaskensis, Abies microcarpa
Also known as American Larch, Hackmatack, Eastern Larch
Climate Match for your location
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A native North American larch with fine, feathery needles that turn golden yellow in fall before dropping. It thrives in cool, wet areas and is one of the few deciduous conifers.
Why grow it
Tamarack offers a deciduous conifer option for cold, wet sites where many other conifers struggle, making it valuable for poorly drained areas, wetland edges, and northern landscapes. Unlike evergreen conifers, it provides seasonal visual interest with golden fall color before leaf drop, and it typically requires less supplemental water than spruce or pine in appropriate climates. It grows more slowly than many hardwoods, making it suitable for long-term permaculture designs where its open branching structure allows light penetration to understory plantings.
Watch out for
Tamarack is sensitive to warm temperatures and performs poorly outside cool climates, so southern or urban heat-island plantings often decline. It has fine, shallow root systems that make transplanting tricky, so container stock or very young bareroot specimens establish more reliably than larger trees. The wood and foliage attract larch sawfly and other defoliators in some regions, so monitor new plantings for pest pressure if these insects are present locally.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Pinaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Northern North America
Native to: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Seasonality
Season of Interest
Canopy
The tallest trees that form the overstory.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A native North American larch with fine, feathery needles that turn golden yellow in fall before dropping. It thrives in cool, wet areas and is one of the few deciduous conifers.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Tamarack grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Tamarack offers a deciduous conifer option for cold, wet sites where many other conifers struggle, making it valuable for poorly drained areas, wetland edges, and northern landscapes. Unlike evergreen conifers, it provides seasonal visual interest with golden fall color before leaf drop, and it typically requires less supplemental water than spruce or pine in appropriate climates. It grows more slowly than many hardwoods, making it suitable for long-term permaculture designs where its open branching structure allows light penetration to understory plantings.
Watch out for
Tamarack is sensitive to warm temperatures and performs poorly outside cool climates, so southern or urban heat-island plantings often decline. It has fine, shallow root systems that make transplanting tricky, so container stock or very young bareroot specimens establish more reliably than larger trees. The wood and foliage attract larch sawfly and other defoliators in some regions, so monitor new plantings for pest pressure if these insects are present locally.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Pinaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Northern North America
Native to: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Seasonality
Season of Interest
Canopy
The tallest trees that form the overstory.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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