E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch
tamarack (American larch)
Pinaceae (Pine family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Larix laricina
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Introduction

The tamarack or American larch is unusual in that it is a deciduous coniferous tree that loses its needles in the winter.

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.

Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Small tree, to 15 m (rarely 25 m) tall; delicate foliage; brownish, scaly bark; branches long, slender and pliable.

Leaves:
Needles deciduous; blue-green, turning yellow in the autumn; in bundles of 12-20 on short spur branches; 5-22 mm long.

Cones:
Seed cones egg-shaped, erect, 10-20 mm long, 7-20 mm thick, purplish, becoming brownish with age; pollen cones small, egg-shaped.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Red

Blooming Period:
Mid Spring

Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall

Source: The USDA

Key to the Species and Taxonomic Notes

1. Seed cones about 1-2 cm long; bracts shorter than scales; needles 1-2.5 cm long, triangular in cross-section.....................Larix laricina

1. Seed cones usually over 2.5 cm long, bracts longer than scales; needles 3-4 cm long.

2. Needles 4-angled in cross-section; young twigs strongly woolly-hairy; cones usually over 3.5 cm long; trees usually at or near timberline..........................Larix lyalli

2. Needles flattened or triangulur in cross-section; young twigs glabrous to somewhat hairy; cones rarely as much as 3.5 cm long; trees of montane forests...................Larix occidentalis

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia.

Habitat / Range

Wet to moist fens, bogs, swamps and some moist, rich slopes in the montane zone; frequent in NE BC, rare southward to C BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF, and S to C AB, MN, WI, N NJ and ME.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Larix laricina

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Minimum	Average	Maximum
Elevation (metres)	6	690	2305
Slope Gradient (%)	0	2	60
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	0	283	360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	1	6	8
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	B
Number of field plots species was recorded in:	207
Modal BEC Zone Class	BWBS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in:	BWBS(164), ESSF(4), SBS(8), SWB(1)
Source: Klinkenberg 2020

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Larix alaskensis W. Wight
Larix laricina var. alaskensis (W. Wight) Raup

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Flora North America treatment for Pinaceae
Flora North America treatment for Larix laricina
Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-05-16 7:27:26 PM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.