Larix laricina
Country of Origin: United States\

The tree:
Tamarack has one of the widest ranges of all American conifers. Its needles are deciduous, 3/4—1 1/4 inches long, soft, flat, and roughly triangular in cross-section. They turn yellow and drop in September or October. Leaves are borne singly or alternate, but often form brushy clusters at the tips of short spur shoots. Cones are roughly rounded-oval, 1/2-3/4 inch long, with about 20 scales that are longer than broad. The tree is 40-80 feet tall with trunk diameter of about 2 feet.

The wood:
The tree is most commonly found on moist organic soils such as those in swamps and muskegs. Tamarack often has a narrow pyramidal shape in forest stands, but develops a broad picturesque head in open areas. Bark is thin, reddish-brown to gray, and scaly. The wood is hard, heavy, durable and strong, but difficult to work with tools. It is used for posts, poles, ties, and as construction lumber.

Tamarack used in these tables is recycled from an Embarrass, MN, barn built in 1912-13 by immigrants from Finland.