Tamarack is a needle leaved tree, but in the fall all of the needles fall off, after first turning a bright yellow. The needles are soft and fairly short (about 3 cm), and are borne in little bunches along the twigs. The new year’s growth has a different arrangement, with each needle borne alone. The cones are little and are born along the branches. The tamarack is a native tree; a European species, Larix decidua, which is more stately, is often planted in Montréal, and has established wild populations in much of South-Eastern Canada, but it is not considered invasive.