# Tamarack (Larix laricina)

> A deciduous conifer: an open, fine-textured pyramid of soft blue-green needles in tufts that turn brilliant yellow in autumn and drop, leaving a rugged bare silhouette with tiny upright cones. It survives -60 C and grows in bogs and swamps where little else will, which makes it useful for wet yards and restoration, though it is shallow-rooted and dislikes heat, drought and pollution.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/larix-laricina · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Eastern larch, American larch, Hackmatack
- Family: Pinaceae
- Type: Conifer
- Mature height: 18 m; spread 10 m
- Growth: Fast growing; lives about 180 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 2 to 5
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Likes water
- Soil: Wet to consistently moist organic or mineral soil, from bog peat to heavy clay; tolerates wet sites
- Native range: Across Canada from the Yukon and Northwest Territories through every province to Newfoundland, with an isolated Alaska population, and in the United States from Minnesota to Maine south to Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

**Benefits:** Fall color, Flood tolerant, Fast canopy, Wildlife, Birds

**Good for:** Streambanks, Reforestation, parks, Yard shade

**Watch out for:** Surface roots, Pest prone

## Care

Plant in full sun on moist to wet ground and water in dry spells. Little pruning is needed; avoid raising the water table around established trees. Larch sawfly and larch casebearer can defoliate it, and eastern larch beetle attacks weakened trees. New owners should expect the autumn needle drop.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Canada (Native in every province and territory; grows throughout Ontario.); United States (Native in Alaska and from Minnesota to Maine south to Pennsylvania and West Virginia (more than 15 states).)

## Sources

- https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/tamarack/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/LALA
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larix_laricina
- https://www.ontario.ca/page/tamarack
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/larlar/all.html
- https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_lala.pdf