Tamarack, Muckigwatig (swamp tree)

Tamaracks are one of my favorite trees in the autumn. They are a deciduous conifer, meaning that they drop their needles in fall. Their change of color is so dramatic that it just takes my breath away. Tamaracks have a lot of uses going way back including medicine, for weaving storage sacks, making canoes and decoys. It is otherwise called the swamp tree.  Its sap can be chewed and is as sweet as maple sugar.  Muckigwatig is the Ojibwe name for this tree.