#western larch

Tall trees of western North America. North Cascades : a guide to the North Cascades National Park Service complex, Washington. 1986.

It's not uncommon for me to see cute jokes/comments around my username, so, an explainer!

The Western Larch is a coniferous tree found in the mountains of the US Pacific Northwest (Eastern Washington & Eastern Oregon), Northern Idaho & Montana, and the southern Interior of BC, Canada (yay, it's me!).

Grows in valleys and lower slopes of mountains

A deciduous conifer (one of the few evergreens that loses its needles in winter!). Its needles turn a brilliant gold in the fall, making them stand out among the other evergreens

Its needles are soft, especially in the spring; young trees are gentle and flexible

The Larch can grow up to 60 meters, but growth is very slow…one foot every 30 years!

As it ages, a Larch's trunk become incredibly strong and more resistant to environmental forces

Can survive in areas susceptible to strong wind/heavy snows/avalanche. Grows where other trees cannot .

Western Larches are very fire resistant. Stands of larches are often found in tact when everything else has burnt down

They can thrive in fire-blackened soil

Autumn Tamarac, Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon, 2022

Autumn Tamarac, Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon An intimate landscape photograph of rocks in the forest of Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon. EXIF: Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens, ISO 64, 72 mm, f11, 1/50 second Read the story of this series of photographs at Autumn Visit to Mt Hood National Forest, Oregon. Learn More