British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide |
ALPINE LARCH
Larix lyallii
-
Subalpine Larch, Tamarack, or Lyall Larch (after David
Lyall a Scottish naturalist)
UNIQUE
FEATURES:
- The
Alpine Larch is often dwarfed or contorted, and smaller
and more ragged than the Western Larch
- The
Alpine Larchhas a dense, cottony hair that covers
the young twigs and buds and turns black after several
years
- Like
all larches it has deciduous foliage (needles) but
drops them in the fall like leaves
- The
Alpine Larch is known for its spectacular showing
of spring and autumn colours
LOCATION:
- The
Alpine Larch is found in mountainous areas in the
southeastern and southern parts of the province
- It
can grow in very cold areas with only rocky or gravelly
soils, so it's often found near the treeline
SIZE:
- The
Alpine Larch grows to about 15 metres in height
CONES:
- The
seed cones are small and egg-shaped and reddish-yellow
to purple when young. The pollen cones are yellow
in colour
NEEDLES:
- Grow
in clusters of 30 to 40, and are sparse, 4 sided,
and bluish-green; turning gold in the fall
BARK:
- Thin,
deeply grooved, with reddish to purplish-brown scales
that flake
USES:
- The
young twigs of the Alpine Larch can be made into a
soup for emergency survival
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