Back to main Search Page

Larix laricina - (Du Roi.)K.Koch.

Tamarack

Author	(Du Roi.)K.Koch.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Pinaceae	Genus	Larix
Synonyms	Larix americana - Michx. Pinus laricina - Du Roi.
Known Hazards	Sawdust from the wood has been known to cause dermatitis in some people[222].
Range	Northern N. America - Alaska to Labrador, south to West Virginia.
Habitat	Often forming pure forests in the south of its range in swamps and wet soils[43, 82, 222], sometimes also on dry plateau or slopes in the north of its range[82, 226].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Tree growing to 18m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Canopy; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Edible Uses: Tea.

The young shoots are used as an emergency food[177]. A tea is made from the roots[161]. A tea is made from the branches and needles[257].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Alterative; Astringent; Disinfectant; Diuretic; Expectorant; Laxative; Poultice; Salve; Tonic.

Tamarack was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little used in modern herbalism. A tea made from the bark is alterative, diuretic, laxative and tonic[4, 222]. It is used in the treatment of jaundice, anaemia, rheumatism, colds and skin ailments[222, 257]. It is gargled in the treatment of sore throats and applied as a poultice to sores, swellings and burns[222, 257]. A tea made from the leaves is astringent[4, 222]. It is used in the treatment of piles, diarrhoea etc[222]. An infusion of the buds and bark is used as an expectorant[257]. The needles and inner bark are disinfectant and laxative[257]. A tea is used in the treatment of coughs[257]. A poultice made from the warm, boiled inner bark is applied to wounds to draw out infections, to burns, frostbite and deep cuts[257]. The resin is chewed as a cure for indigestion[222]. It has also been used in the treatment of kidney and lung disorders, and as a dressing for ulcers and burns[226].

Other Uses

Fibre; Resin; Tannin; Wood.

Resin is extracted by tapping the trunk. It is obtained from near the centre of the trunk[171], one properly made borehole can be used for 20 - 30 years[64]. The resin has a wide range of uses including wood preservatives, medicinal etc. The hole is made in the spring and the resin extracted in the autumn[64]. The roots have been used as a sewing material in canoes and to make durable bags[257]. The bark contains tannin[229]. Wood - very strong, heavy, hard, durable even in water. It weighs 39lb per cubic foot and is used for telegraph poles, fence posts etc[46, 61, 171, 226, 235]. The roots are often curved by as much as 90° and are used by builders of small ships[226].

Cultivation details

Prefers an open airy position in a light or gravelly well-drained soil[200]. Plants are intolerant of shade[226]. Tolerates acid and infertile soils and waterlogged soils[200]. Succeeds on rocky hill or mountain sides and slopes[200]. A north or east aspect is more suitable than west or south[1]. This species is very cold-hardy when fully dormant, but the trees can be excited into premature growth in Britain by mild spells during the winter and they are then very subject to damage by late frosts and cold winds[1]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200]. Planted for forestry in Europe[50], they are not suitable for this purpose in Britain[1]. Growth is normally slow in this country with average height increases of less than 30cm per year[185]. The trees are generally not long-lived[185]. Planting them in boggy soil may improve growth rates[185]. Open ground plants, 1 year x 1 year are the best for planting out, do not use container grown plants with spiralled roots[200]. Plants transplant well, even when coming into growth in the spring[200]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in pots in a cold frame. One months cold stratification helps germination[113]. It is best to give the seedlings light shade for the first year[78]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots. Although only a few centimetres tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions in the summer providing you give them an effective weed-excluding mulch and preferably some winter protection for their first year. Otherwise grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in early summer of the following year. The seed remains viable for 3 years[113] If you are growing larger quantities of plants, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in late winter. Grow on the seedlings in the seedbed for a couple of years until they are ready to go into their permanent positions then plant them out during the winter.

Links

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[64] Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber 0
A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. 0
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Larix laricina

cheryl williams Fri May 16 2008

where in Upper Peninsula, Michigan will I find these trees?

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).