Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Golden Tamarack

Those golden Tamarack, Larix laricina, deserve a post of their own, they're such a big seasonal benchmark in early November here in the valley.  As Karen said in the comments yesterday, once the Tamarack needles are down, snow won't be long thereafter.

The Tamarack or Eastern Larch is the only coniferous tree here that loses its needles in the fall.  That makes it a "deciduous conifer" - deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall; conifers have cones.  And since it's one of the latest trees turning from green to gold, it marks the end of fall and the beginning of winter.  It's a really obvious and visible marker of our changing seasons.

On a sunny day the Tamarack stand out brilliant yellow in the now mostly brown landscape.  These are right in our meadow, but driving the rural roads past any wetland, the golden Tamarack stand out even more against the dark green Spruce and Pine.

I prefer the name Tamarack instead of Larch for two reasons.  First, this is the Algonquian name for the tree, meaning 'wood used for making snowshoes'.  We also have a lot of the European Larch, a non-native species that has invaded via reforestation projects which confuses use of the name Larch.

When you're close to the Tamarack, you feel like you're enveloped by all these tiny little golden needles.  There are quite a few needles in a cluster, often up to 20.

You can clearly tell the difference between this year's growth, on the left, where the needles do not come out in clusters, and the previous year's growth where the needles are in clusters.

The Tamarack is a very pretty tree for a few weeks in late fall!

It's the time for installing snow tires, chainsaws and cutting firewood, fence repairs and manure spreading on farms, and hunting (it's deer hunting week right now).  For some skiers we know, it's the time to dash to Florida for a month of warmer weather before ski season arrives.  For me, it's time to get all those last fall chores done. Our snow tires are now on, our bird feeders are up, and I dug out my little toy chainsaw and trimmed some big branches off the old apple tree.

Like many Canadians, we're watching the results of the American election and thinking about our friends to the south of the border and what the future will hold for them.  I can't remember any other presidential election that has captivated so many Canadians.




16 comments:

  1. They are beautiful. One doesn't see them further south. I'd never seen them growing up, at least when they were golden like that.

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  2. We saw tamarack on our hike today too. So pretty! Loved this post!

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  3. Love those Tamaracks! They seem to glow with a golden light. Lovely photos!

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  4. The tamaracks are as golden yellow as our Colorado aspen trees! Yes, this election has been a long and contentious process. I am watching the results come in and it is making me sad right now, but I'm trying to be hopeful that goodness will win.

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  5. Green or gold colour I have always admired these trees.

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  6. i am always so excited to see falls palate and so sad to see it go!! the tamaracks (which i am not familiar with) seem happy to be soaking up the sun. beautiful images!!

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  7. I am a liberal Democrat who is trying very hard to look at the bright side today. Your beautiful yellow colors help. Thank you.

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  8. We have these trees in our mountains, but call them larches. Whatever the name they are lovely in the fall.

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  9. We live in a dense thicket of tamarack. We had heavy wind overnight, but they had already started shedding. SNOW FLURRIES this morning!
    My late fathers family live in the US (save a cousin in BC and another in Meaford). My heart aches for them. The younger ones have options but with parents in nursing homes and pensions looming in the next year or two or three, my peers don't have much of an out.

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  10. Pretty trees . We don't seem to have any of them down here or at least I haven't seen any before . The winds are gusty today and now all our trees are bare and all over the lawn again lol ! Yup winter tires already done a week ago and so has the wood cutting been done this year we seem to be ahead of preparations for the winter . I just hope the states can get through it all peacefully ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  11. I've learned something new and that always makes for a good day.

    Beautiful

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  12. I love that last picture. Those chairs look so inviting for sitting a spell.

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  13. Here in northcentral Pennsylvania we're on the very edge of the beautiful tamarack's natural range, I only know of one spot in the county where it grows.
    Please keep those of us south of the border in your thoughts, it won't be good. I'm old now, but our children and grandchildern will almost certainly have a much less pleasant life in a much less pleasant place. Unfortunately, some of it will probably slop across the border to impact your country

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  14. Got my snow tires on this morning!

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  15. I love the colors of the Tamarack! Ours were only pretty for a few days this year :(

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  16. Our pine trees have shed a lot of needles, as they always do in the fall. They don't lose them all, but quite a few. It is always a shock!

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