TARAMACK
Tamarack, also commonly known as larch, is a tree species native to Nova Scotia. Tamaracks are considered to be conifers, trees that bear cones. Most conifers are called evergreens because they retain their green needles all winter; the tamarack is an exception and is Canada’s only deciduous conifer. The tamarack’s needles change colour in the autumn from green to orange-yellow and then fall, leaving the branches empty for the winter.
Habitat
Tamaracks are very tolerant of cold temperatures, allowing them to survive in the Arctic and in the colder parts of Canada. They also thrive in many different soil types, including areas with very little water or flooded areas, like bogs or swamps. Pure stands of tamarack trees can be found throughout Nova Scotia, often around low-lying areas with lots of water.
Tamaracks are primarily found in open areas as they are unable to grow in the shade. Other trees push the tamarack trees to the edges of forests.
Description
Tamarack trees can grow up to 10-20 meters tall with thick trunks up to 60 cm in diameter. The trees are covered in red-pink bark, though it can be whitish when young. Tamaracks have short needles in bunches of 10-20; the needles are flat and have a soft end. The needles fall in the autumn and re-grow in April and May. Small cones can be found within the bunches of needles, which stay on the branches over winter.
Reproduction
Tamarack trees are monecious (mon-eck-ious) meaning that there are male and female cones on the same tree and even on the same branch. The yellow-brown male cones produce pollen and look more like a small papery sac than a cone. They appear in early spring and wither after their pollen disburses. Male cones may be difficult to find some years.
The female cones look like a small dark red or violet pinecone and are only one to two cm long. The female cones grow within the bunches of needles and are fertilized by pollen from the male cones, spread by the wind. Mature, fertilized cones become brown and contain seeds. Seed cones open in August and stay on the trees through the following summer.
The tamarack trees reproduce every other year, allowing the cones to pollinate over one winter and the seed cones to fall in the next.
Ecological Importance
Like all vegetation, tamarack trees play an important role in the life of animals as food and shelter. The trees provide key coverage and material to build nests and to rest in. In the summer, white-throated sparrows and warblers can be seen in their branches, while porcupines snack on the inner bark, removing it from the tree. Tamarack saplings and seeds are consumed by squirrels, birds and snowshoe hares.
Uses
Tamarack has been used for generations for its lumber and medical properties. The Mi’kmaq people used the wood and bark to create snowshoes, canoes, paddles, drums and toboggans, and when the settlers arrived, they used the wood to build ships. Tamarack wood is used today in house frames, fences, railroads, in poles and to create pulpwood, due to its rot-resistant properties and its light weight compared with other trees.
Tamarack also has medicinal properties. Its inner bark has been used to treat wounds and infections, while the outer bark was used for aches and pains. Teas made from the needles provided a good source of vitamin C, a key to the prevention of scurvy for the Mi’kmaq people and settlers.
Allergies
Some people can have an allergic reaction to the sap or bark, which will cause hives or skin irritation. While this reaction is uncommon, it is important to wash hands after coming into contact with the tamarack sap and bark.
Threats
While human activity can be considered the main threat to this species due to their valuable wood, there are a few natural threats as well. A handful of insect species are known to feast upon the tamarack, which can be devastating to a tree population if there is an insect outbreak. One of these insect species is the spruce budworm or the larch-bud moth, which will eat away all the leaves and tunnel into the wood, killing the trees.
–Emilie Knighton
