Larch is another deciduous, coniferous tree with scaly bark. Buds are small and scaly. Leaves are entire, narrow, and flat. Foliage looks evergreen-like, is alternate, and is spirally arranged on juvenile branches. Foliage is clustered on short, lateral spurs on older twigs. Flowers are monoecious. Fruit is a small, persistent cone that is less than an inch long.
Larix laricina (americana)–Eastern Larch (Tamarack)
Larix decidua (europaea)–European Larch
European Larch–Larix decidua
This deciduous, evergreen conifer from Europe is better adapted to Ohio's landscape than the native larch. Cultivars such as the weeping European larch are more commonly grown for ornamental purposes. The European larch develops well on moist, heavy, loam soils. The tree grows to a height of 50—75 feet with a straight, clean trunk in a planted forest and with a broad, pyramidal crown on single specimens.
Foliage looks evergreen-like and is alternately and spirally arranged on juvenile branches. Foliage is clustered in short, lateral spurs on older twigs. Needles are flat, soft, and bluish-green in color. Leaves are 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) long, entire, narrow, and flat. European larch is a conspicuous and beautiful tree in spring with new, bright green foliage.
Buds are small and scaly. Twigs are glabrous, usually not bloomy, and yellower than the native larch. Bark of the older trunk is dark grayish-brown. Flowers are monoecious and bloom in May. Fruit is a small, persistent cone less than 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) long.
|
| Eastern Larch |
Eastern Larch–Larix laricina
The Eastern larch, also called tamarack, is a northern tree. It stands out prominently among its associates because it sheds all of its leaves in autumn. Its habit is conical and similar to spruce. The Eastern larch is found from Newfoundland, Canada, and British Columbia, Canada, to Alaska. Along with white spruce and aspen, this tree grows north into the tundra. Ohio is south of its range, but it occurs locally in the northern part of Ohio in swamps and other wet places. It is most common along borders of glacial lakes and swamps in Summit, Portage, and Stark counties. It rarely exceeds 50 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. Wet places are its favorite home. It is too site-demanding to be useful in Ohio landscapes.
The leaves are flat, soft, slender and about 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) long. Foliage is light bluish-green. On the twigs of the previous season's growth, needles occur singly, are alternate, and are spirally arranged on juvenile branches. On the spurs of older twigs, the foliage occurs in clusters of 10 or more. Foliage looks evergreen-like and is 1 inch (2 1/2 cm) long. During the fall, foliage color is a distinctive golden-brown or yellow.
Flowers are monoecious. The cones are smaller than those of the European larch. Cones average 2/5 inch (1 cm) in length, bear about 12 scales, and often persist for many years.
The glossy, brown twigs are without foliage in winter and are covered with numerous stubby spurs. Twigs are glabrous, reddish-yellow, and usually bloomy. The bark on older trunks is reddish- brown and breaks up into small, round scales.
The wood is heavy, hard, and durable in contact with the soil. It is used for posts, poles, ties, and in ship building.