74 



ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CIRCULAR SI 



Larch 



Two larches, tamarack {Larix laricina) and European larch 

 (L. decidiia), are grown in Illinois. They are used in wind- 

 breaks and along roadsides, and are graceful trees for specimen 

 and lawn plantings. Tamarack, also called American or eastern 

 larch, grows as a native tree only in McHenry and Lake counties 

 and occurs in the interior of deep sphagnum swamps and bogs. It 

 is tolerant of poor soils, including heavy clay and coarse sand. 

 It is a hardy, straight tree reaching a height of 40-50 feet. The 

 long, drooping branches form an extended, narrow, spikelike 

 crown in the open or a short, open crown when crowded. 



The -^ I- to 11 2-inch-long, sharply pointed, needle-like, pale 

 blue-green leaves are borne in compact bundles of 20-50 at inter- 

 vals on older twigs and singly in a close spiral on young shoots. 

 They are shed in autumn. The male and female flowers are pro- 

 duced separately on the same tree and appear with the leaves. 

 The globe-shaped, yellow male flowers are produced on lateral 

 branches of 1- or 2-year-old twigs. The oblong female flowers 

 with rose-red, rounded scales are produced at the tips of short, 

 leafy shoots along the sides of 1- to 3-year-old twigs. The i/o- to 



Fig. 70. — The tall, 

 straight European larch, 

 with its soft, flat leaves 

 (inset), is a graceful speci- 

 men tree. 



