Description
Larix laricina (Tamarack) is a small to medium-size boreal deciduous conifer tree reaching 15–23 m (49–75 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 60 cm (24 in) diameter.[5] The bark of mature trees is reddish, the young trees are gray with smooth bark.[6] The leaves are needle-like, 2.5 cm (1 in) long, light blue-green, turning bright yellow before they fall in the autumn, leaving the shoots bare until the next spring.[5] The needles are produced in clusters on long woody spur shoots.[5] The cones are the smallest of any larch, only 1–2.3 cm (3⁄8–7⁄8 in) long, with 12-25 seed scales; they are bright red, turning brown and opening to release the seeds when mature, 4 to 6 months after pollination.[6]