Larch Among The Pines
I composed this photograph during a recent 'photography journey' through Kananaskis Country, a vast wilderness and recreational area west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The image depicts small groupings of larch trees demonstrating their vibrant autumn colours, surrounded by a forest of pine trees. For those interested in learning more about larch trees, and how they got their name, read on.
Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus Larix. Growing from 20 to 45 metres (65 to 150 feet) tall, they are native to the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, where they are found in lowland forests in the high latitudes, and high in mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada.
Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn. Before those needles drop, their colours change from green to glorious shades of yellow-gold. After the needles drop, only a skeletal structure remains, looking like a dead pine tree.
About the naming of this tree. What follows is more information than many will find necessary. Nonetheless...
The English name larch ultimately derives from the Latin "larigna", named after the ancient settlement of Larignum. The story of its naming was preserved by Vitruvius: “It is worth while to know how this wood was discovered. The divine Caesar, being with his army in the neighbourhood of the Alps, and having ordered the towns to furnish supplies, the inhabitants of a fortified stronghold there, called Larignum, trusting in the natural strength of their defences, refused to obey his command. So the general ordered his forces to the assault. In front of the gate of this stronghold there was a tower, made of beams of this wood laid in alternating directions at right angles to each other, like a funeral pyre, and built high, so that they could drive off an attacking party by throwing stakes and stones from the top. When it was observed that they had no other missiles than stakes, and that these could not be hurled very far from the wall on account of the weight, orders were given to approach and to throw bundles of brushwood and lighted torches at this outwork. These the soldiers soon got together.
The flames soon kindled the brushwood which lay about that wooden structure and, rising towards heaven, made everybody think that the whole pile had fallen. But when the fire had burned itself out and subsided, and the tower appeared to view entirely uninjured, Caesar in amazement gave orders that they should be surrounded with a palisade, built beyond the range of missiles. So the townspeople were frightened into surrendering, and were then asked where that wood came from which was not harmed by fire. They pointed to trees of the kind under discussion, of which there are very great numbers in that vicinity. And so, as that stronghold was called Larignum, the wood was called larch.”
Larch Among The Pines
I composed this photograph during a recent 'photography journey' through Kananaskis Country, a vast wilderness and recreational area west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The image depicts small groupings of larch trees demonstrating their vibrant autumn colours, surrounded by a forest of pine trees. For those interested in learning more about larch trees, and how they got their name, read on.
Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus Larix. Growing from 20 to 45 metres (65 to 150 feet) tall, they are native to the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, where they are found in lowland forests in the high latitudes, and high in mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada.
Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn. Before those needles drop, their colours change from green to glorious shades of yellow-gold. After the needles drop, only a skeletal structure remains, looking like a dead pine tree.
About the naming of this tree. What follows is more information than many will find necessary. Nonetheless...
The English name larch ultimately derives from the Latin "larigna", named after the ancient settlement of Larignum. The story of its naming was preserved by Vitruvius: “It is worth while to know how this wood was discovered. The divine Caesar, being with his army in the neighbourhood of the Alps, and having ordered the towns to furnish supplies, the inhabitants of a fortified stronghold there, called Larignum, trusting in the natural strength of their defences, refused to obey his command. So the general ordered his forces to the assault. In front of the gate of this stronghold there was a tower, made of beams of this wood laid in alternating directions at right angles to each other, like a funeral pyre, and built high, so that they could drive off an attacking party by throwing stakes and stones from the top. When it was observed that they had no other missiles than stakes, and that these could not be hurled very far from the wall on account of the weight, orders were given to approach and to throw bundles of brushwood and lighted torches at this outwork. These the soldiers soon got together.
The flames soon kindled the brushwood which lay about that wooden structure and, rising towards heaven, made everybody think that the whole pile had fallen. But when the fire had burned itself out and subsided, and the tower appeared to view entirely uninjured, Caesar in amazement gave orders that they should be surrounded with a palisade, built beyond the range of missiles. So the townspeople were frightened into surrendering, and were then asked where that wood came from which was not harmed by fire. They pointed to trees of the kind under discussion, of which there are very great numbers in that vicinity. And so, as that stronghold was called Larignum, the wood was called larch.”