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Growing Home: Conifers

In my youth I hitchhiked through the upper peninsula of Michigan for the first time. Along the highway I noticed conifers turning yellow and dropping needles. I asked my driver if they were dying. He said “No, they’re Larch trees. They are conifers that resemble fir trees. Unlike most conifers, larch needles turn yellow in fall and drop to the ground like deciduous trees.” In spring they grow new needles. Larch trees are hardy in the low mountain valleys with ample sun, moisture and rich soil. They grow fast reaching up to 60’ high. The Larch tree can be a conversation piece. But I still prefer a conifer that stays ever green in the winter.