Native Indiana Tree of the Week: American Larch or Tamarack (Larix laricina)

A deciduous conifer, the small native stands left in Indiana are relicts from the Ice Age....

Northern White-Cedar may have historically been the tree of the fen (alkaline peat bog as mineral-rich water flows through the wetland from springs), but American Larch or Tamarack (origin of the word being Hackmatack or Native American word meaning snowshoe) is the native Indiana tree of acidic peat bogs. It typically grows in standing water & will venture to the edge of glacial lakes & even some river swamps in Indiana (Pigeon River). On a side note, the reference of snowshoe in the Native American name is due to the trees wood having exceptional strength & flexibility, as well as durability, making the wood great for use as snowshoes. The shoes were tied together with the stringy, but strong Tamarack roots. Like Baldcypress, the wood is highly-resistant to rot & the trees can be tapped for Turpentine. Natives used this to seal boats & wigwams while the young trees have long been used for dogsled poles.