Canoe Creek State Park

PA State Parks have ceased programming for now, which means the ever-popular First Day Hikes will not be offered. as such you can print out this map of suggested hikes to take over the holidays. Please be safe, wear a mask if social distancing cannot be observed and remember this is hunting season, so please wear orange!

Our holiday wreath workshops were a success, despite the 'take and make' version we did this year. Thanks to Matt and Lauren Merchant for sending in a picture of their fantastic homemade wreaths!

TAMARACK LARCH (Larix larcina). Of all the conifers, this one would make absolutely the worst Christmas Tree. You don’t normally expect conifers to contribute... to the fall colors of western Pennsylvania, but this species is an exception. At first glance it looks like it might just be a dead tree, victim of some plant disease, but this is the normal appearance of the Larch in the autumn. The Tamarack Larch is a conifer, but not evergreen. The light blue-green needles of summer turn bright yellow in autumn before falling form the tree. This leaves the pinkish-brown shoots bare until the needles regrow in the spring. The arrangement of the needles is also unique among conifersgrowing outward form a central peg in a whorl of 10-20 needles. There are separate male and female cones and both are small and inconspicuous. Male cones are small and yellow, while female cones resemble tiny roses. The cones of the Tamarack Larch are the smallest of any known larch speciesonly about to 1 inch long. Each can contain 12-25 seeds. Initially the female cones are bright red but turn brown as they open to release the seeds when mature. Old cones are often retained on the branches borne on very short stalks. Like all conifers it is wind pollinated. This Larch species is more common in Canada and the more northern regions of the United States, but there are isolated populations in Western Pennsylvania and other nearby regions. They are commonly found in swamps, bogs and other lowland areas. They are very cold tolerant, surviving winter temperatures down to -85 degrees F. It is an early invader of wetlands that have silted up and may start growing in the moss and sedge mat that forms over such a declining wetland. The wood is tough and durable, but also flexible in thin strips. The world Tamarack is derived from Algonquin for snowshoes and these Native Americans did use the wood for that purpose. In cold regions it is a popular ornamental tree and miniature versions are used as bonsai. It is also called the Eastern, American or Alaskan Larch. It is also called Hackmatack. There is also a Western Larch and a Subalpine Larch in the Western part of North America. I took this photograph November 7, 2013 near the Hill Top Trail at Moraine State Park in Butler County, PA. The first comment space shows the entire tree. The needles have changed color but had not yet dropped off at that date.

In response to the continuing rise of COVID-19 cases across the state, DCNR has canceled all in-person events and programs organized by its staff and volunteers in all state parks and forests, beginning Sunday, December 6. Learn more https://bit.ly/37CpdcD

COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE: (Picea pungens). This species of spruce is native to the Rocky Mountain region of the United States but has been a popular ornamental tree... in this area for many years. Several commercial cultivars are available. The USDA reports that it has naturalized in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Erie Counties, but actual naturalization is probably more extensive. It is also commonly called the Mountain Spruce or White Spruce. Like all spruce trees, the Colorado Blue Spruce has short, pointed, 4-sided needles that attach to the stems individually rather than in bundles. It is a small to medium-sized tree, growing 75 feet in the wild, but seldom over 50 feet tall in parks and gardens. Compared to other species its growth rate is slow. The needles of this species are about to 1 inches long and strongly incurved. The coloration is bluish-green to silvery, especially on the growing branch tips, with a tendency towards green on older growth. Unlike the Norway Spruce, the Colorado Blue Spruce does not have drooping branches and has live branches close to the base of the tree. The cones are produced on the upper 1/3 of the tree and are 2 to 4 inches long. The scales of the cones are tipped by relatively long thorns, over 3/16 inches long. There are separate male and female cones on the same tree. Male cones are reddish-yellow. Female cones are green but turn pale brown as they mature and drop their seeds. The bark of the tree is grey, sometimes tinged with plate-like scales. The interesting color and conical shape of the tree make it one of the most popular, but more expensive Christmas trees. Like other spruces it tends to dry out and drop needles when cut and placed in the dry atmosphere of a building. Unless kept moist, it is good for about two weeks. Commercial uses include lumber, spruce gum and paper pulp. The Blue Spruce is less disease resistant than the Norway Spruce and is subject to several types of insect and fungus damage. I took this photograph of a Colorado Blue Spruce branch in Center Township, Beaver County, PA on December 2, 2013. The cones were those that had fallen on the ground, but placed on the lower branches to aid identification. (See the first comment space for a view of the full tree.)