Main Content:
Name: Larix decidua European or Common Larch
Other name(s): Tamarack Larch or American Larch
Location: North entrance to campus (by the old silo)
Larches are deciduous conifers developing a spectacular yellow fall color before dropping their needles for the winter. The European larch is native to the mountains of central Europe, usually found in association with Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra). The tree is effectively used in large spaces as a specimen or in a group planting. It has a moderate to fast growth rate reaching 70 to 75 feet at maturity.
Our native (Eastern or American) larch, Larix laricina, commonly known as the Tamarack has been used in the rain garden plantings in the parking lot located west of the main campus building. Tamarack is the Algonquian Native American name for the tree. Often found growing with Black Spruce, Picea mariana, in the bogs of northern Minnesota, the Tamarack is less tolerant of cultivation then the European Larch. It is salt tolerant but does not tolerate shade or pollution. The Tamarack has a slow to moderate growth rate reaching 40 to 80 feet at maturity. The Algonquian people used the durable, flexible wood for making snowshoes.
Updated: March 2, 2012 1:40 PM
