Native Trees of Prince Edward Island
Eastern Larch (Larix laricina)

Additional Information:
Juniper, as the majority of islanders call it, occurs throughout the province. No large or extensive pure stands occur but is chiefly confined to boggy areas gowing with balsam fir and black spruce. In better drained areas, it is found with black, red and white spruce, trembling aspen and white birch. Tamarack seldom reaches a height of over 60 feet on PEI with a diamter of over 18 inches. Tamarack is the heaviest and strongest of our softwoods. It's resistance to decay makes it very suitable for posts, railway ties, and telephone poles.
Source:"Native Trees of Prince Edward Island and the more Common Woodland Shrubs". by J.F. Gaudet and W.M. Profitt Dept. of Agriculture. Charlottetown, PEI. 1958.

Historical Information:
Tamarack or larch, was as distinctive for early recorders of island forests as it is today. It's the only conifer to drop it's needles every winter. Review of the records indicate that larch was not commonly seen throughtout the island, but rather in scattered areas. One area of concentration was in low wooded areas of western Prince County. Larch was noted to be a medium sized tree, rarely above 18 inches in diameter. Larch was associated with poor wet soils, in areas described as swamps and barrens. Usually associated with black spruce, ash and willow. Larch was a prized tree for it's durability and resistance to decay. Used for ship building and was described as the best wood for knees and trunnells. Also, used for fence posts and later railway ties. Tamarack also was used to create a powerful turpentine with medicinal qualities.
Source: Early Descriptions of the Forests of Prince Edward Island. by Douglas Sobey. Institute of Island Studies. 2006

Eastern larch tree.

Eastern larch needles.

Eastern larch tree in fall colors.

For more pictures and descriptions of this species, check out the Atlantic Forestry Centre, or the Iowa State University Dendrology page and the Dendrology at Virginia Tech Page and the Virtual Foliage Homepage. For a review of the ecology of this species, refer to the Silvics of North America and the The Natural History of the Northwoods.

In 1806, John Stewart wrote an excellent description of Forest Trees and Other Vegetable Productions on PEI at that time.

Eastern larch typical tree form.

Eastern larch cone.

Eastern larch twig and leaf.

Eastern larch twig in winter.

We offer a number of workshops and guided tours at the Macphail Woods and it is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the native trees of Prince Edward Island. Check out the Events Calendar for more information. Web development and maintenance by Chris Martin.

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