Tamarack

Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch · Softwood · North America

Janka 590 lbf≈33 lb/ft³ dried (est.)

Properties

Janka hardness	590 lbf (2,624 N)
Average dried weight (est.)	33 lb/ft³ (530 kg/m³)
Specific gravity	0.53
Modulus of rupture	11,600 psi (80.0 MPa)
Modulus of elasticity	1.64 million psi (11.31 GPa)
Crushing strength	7,160 psi (49.4 MPa)
Shrinkage — radial	3.7%
Shrinkage — tangential	7.4%
Shrinkage — volumetric	13.6%
Shrinkage T/R ratio	2.0

Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5–3b p. 5–13; shrinkage Table 4–3 p. 4–8.

Tamarack is a coarse-textured northern softwood (specific gravity 0.53, Janka hardness 590 lbf) that sits in the middle of the pack for weight and most mechanical properties. It is cut principally for pulpwood and lumber.

Appearance & grain

The heartwood is yellowish brown to russet brown. The sapwood is whitish and generally less than 3 cm wide. The texture is coarse, the earlywood passes abruptly into the latewood, and the wood has no odor or taste.

Workability

The Handbook places tamarack at an intermediate level in weight and in most mechanical properties. Its lumber is used for framing material, tank construction, boxes, pallets, and crates.