A deciduous conifer, the western larch possesses delicate, feathery needles where most deciduous trees have hardy leaves. It sheds these needles come fall, while most conifers remain evergreen. The western larch gives definition to the dense, autumn forests of western Montana, dotting the landscape with the saffron design of its distribution. Sitting along side Lake MacDonald, I began to wonder if these configurations were in some way indicative of western larch ecology or if they were only accidental. Learn more about larches in this podcast.

This Field Note was written by Natasha Bellis. Would you be interested in writing one? Contact Allison De Jong, Field Notes editor, at adejong [at] montananaturalist [dot] org or 406.327.0405. Please visit the Field Notes website at the Montana Natural History Center for more information.