Friday, February 10, 2006

tamaracks

5 comments:

Lené Gary said...

I was just flipping through my fall pictures of the tamaracks last night. I haven't been to the area they most populate since the needles fell. Thanks for reminding me how beautiful they can be in winter too.

R.Powers said...

So, are tamaracks conifers? I know I could look it up, but it's more fun to ask you.

Deb said...

lene-- this particular grove seems to retain more yellow color throughout the winter than others. It was also the last to lose its golden needles in the fall.

FC--I'm glad you think it's more fun to ask me! :) Tamaracks are considered conifers, although they are the only deciduous conifers (hows that for an oxymoron) that is, they have needles, but they lose them in the fall. Their wood is very durable and I'm thinking for the new house we're going to have some stairway and balcony railings made out of tamarack poles. We're already incorporating two support beams made out of a tamarack we cut last summer.

They also have a very delicate beauty to them, even in winter.

Madcap said...

We saw a lot of tamarack on our way to our land yesterday. They're also called larch, aren't they?

Anonymous said...

Madcapmum,

Larch is in the same family, tamarack is an extremely durable wood the early settlers used the pole size for fence posts because of its resistance to rot. We are using two nine foot hand peeled logs for decorative support of our timbers in the new house.