The Tamarack (also called Eastern Larch) is a native conifer tree species in the Pine Family. It is unique in that it loses its needles in the fall, which are actually modified leaves, making it the only native deciduous conifer in Minnesota. Its native range extends as far north as Alaska and south and east to the northeastern U.S. Its mature height is commonly 40-80 feet, and it prefers full sun and wet soils, but does not tolerate prolonged flooding. In northern Minnesota, Tamaracks often dominate wetlands known as peat bogs. However, the Tamarack has begun to decline in Minnesota, and in some states it has now become classified as a Threatened or Endangered Species. Some researchers believe this may be due to greater vulnerability to the eastern larch beetle as a result of increased populations of the beetle that can produce multiple generations in increasingly longer growing seasons.
It is not naturally found in Mendota Heights, though some planted species exist. Tamarack can be susceptible to pests such as the larch sawfly, eastern larch beetle, root and heart rots, and porcupines.