Larix laricina
Do you know this tree? They were made famous by Monty Python's Flying Circus episode “How to Recognize Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away.” Larches are also the only conifer that drops their needles in the fall and grows new ones in the spring, therefore they are called a deciduous tree (although a member of the pine family).
Larches grow in peat-like bogs and swamps or terrestrial areas with good loam. They stand tall at forty to eighty feet and are very straight with a tapered top. Cones are produced one year and fall the next. Currently the larches are a beautiful golden color where other trees have already dropped their leaves or are evergreens. They are stunning, in my opinion.
Larches and humans have a long history. First Nation people used the narrower roots to sew bark for their canoes. Lumber was used in ships, home construction, railroad ties, and more.
Look for this remarkable tree throughout New England (rare in RI), the upper Mid West, and Canada.
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