Tamarack Larch

About Tamarack Larch in Alberta

Tamarack is Alberta's principal wild lowland larch: a native deciduous conifer of boreal peatlands, fens, muskegs, and wetland margins. For ARA, tamarack matters as a wetland and boreal-landscape indicator, with special value in intact old wetland stands, unusual southern or disjunct populations, and large trees tied to long-lived peatland systems.

Identification: Needles are deciduous, soft, and usually 1 to 2.5 cm long. They are three-angled and borne mostly in clustered tufts on short spur shoots, with the larch habit of dropping all needles in fall.

Alberta range and habitat: Tamarack is common in Alberta's boreal lowlands and poorly drained peatlands. It also occurs in foothill wetlands and wetland margins as far south as the Red Deer River drainage, with peripheral populations along the parkland boundary and reported outliers near the Canmore Corridor.