Page Created by Connecticut Foraging Club
Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
----------------
Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
----------------
Tamarack (Larix laricina) is a native deciduous conifer in the pine family.
Tamarack, also known as “American larch”, is usually the first tree to grow on filled lake bogs. It has 1-inch needles that grow in clusters of 10-20. The needles turn bright yellow in late autumn and then fell off.
![](https://eattheplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/348817263_948427336574682_1224442000732692586_n-1.jpg)
Tender spring shoots can be eaten after boiled or made into a tea. The tree sap contains a sugar called galactan, which has the flavor of bitter honey. The inner bark can be dried and ground for flour.
![](https://eattheplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/348831687_787176389463600_8003307369623928949_n.jpg)
Native Americans made an infusion of the bark and roots to treat persistent cough. The bark has the highest concentration of arabinogalactans, an immune system enhancer, of any known plant.
--
Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.