Larix laricina - (image 1 of 9)
Taxonomy
Family: Pinaceae
Habitat
Typically found in bogs.
Associates
Acer rubrum, Aralia nudicaulis, Betula alleghaniensis, Coptis trifolia, Dryopteris spinulosa, Ilex verticillata, Mianthemum canadense interius, Nemopanthus mucronata, Rhus vernix, Rubus pubescens, Trientalis borealis. Closer to the center of a bog, found with Andromeda glaucophylla, Betula pumila, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Drosera rotundifolia, Thelypteris palustris, Dulichium arundinaceum, Hypericum virginicum, Menyanthes trifoliata minor, Potentilla palustris, Rhynchospora alba, Sarracenia purpurea, Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium macrocarpon. Also found with Betula papyrifera, Picea glauca, Picea mariana, Populus tremuloides, Thuja occidentalis.
Distribution
.
Morphology
Medium tree to 80' high and 30' wide. Leaves deciduous, needle-like, on short spurs of 12-30 in a bundle, mostly less than 2.5cm long. .. Buds rounded, glossy red-brown, slightly resinous. Stems thing, yellow-brown to red-brown. Bark thin and smooth on young stems, gray to red brown and scaley with age. Cones small, oval, pendulous, glabrous, green or violet become brown when matures, the larger cones more than 2cm long with fewer than 20 scales
Notes
Flowers mid April to late May
Wetland indicator: Obligate
Not well adapted to cultivation but a beautiful tree for moist, acid, well-drained soils. The bright yellow fall color is more showy than other deciduous conifers and rivals the autumn color of the best broad-leaf trees.
Bibliography
Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants:
Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses.
5th ed. Champaign, Illinois: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.
Farrar, J. L. 1995. Trees of the Northern United States and Canada.
Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
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Michael Hough © 2005 |