Tamarack

Larix larcina

Also, on the right side of the walk, if you look between the White Pine and the Eastern Hemlock you can see the Tamarack, commonly called the American larch. The Tamarack is a deciduous conifer. The needles are short light blue green, turning bright yellow before they fall in the autumn, leaving the shoots bare until the following spring. The cones are the smallest of any larch, only 1-2.3cm long; they are bright red, turning brown and opening to release the seeds when mature, 4-6 months after pollination. The wood is tough and durable, but also flexible in thin strips, and was used by the Algonquin people for making snowshoes and other products where toughness was required. It is also grown as an ornamental tree in gardens in cold regions. Several dwarf cultivars have been created, commonly used for bonsai.