Larix Sibirica - Grandpa’s Siberian Larch
I want to share with you guys the story of this picture.
My dad’s family is from Alaska. When my grandmother passed away a few weeks ago, we all traveled up there to celebrate her life and set affairs in order. Both she and my late grandfather were incredibly gifted and passionate botanists, who celebrated life and the changing of the seasons more than any traditional holidays.
While we were up there, I learned that these breathtaking trees, the Siberian Larches, were not at all native to Alaska. My grandfather in fact found a way to smuggle in some of the seeds during a research trip trip when he was young (I won’t go into the details) and planted dozens all over their property. Today, they stand tall and regal amongst the towering birch, their golden needles glowing bright in the winter’s half light.
Driving around town, my siblings and I began to notice these trees all over the place, like fiery beacons dotted across the hills. And now that we knew the story behind them, it was incredibly special to see where our grandfather had been, and who he might’ve known well enough to gift one of these magnificent trees to.
The week that my family spent cleaning out my grandparent’s house was not an easy one. On one particular afternoon, as my sister and I got back from buying coffee and groceries for everyone, we were unloading the car parked underneath one such tree. And suddenly, as gently and silently as snow falls to the ground on a still winter’s night, a shower of soft gold needles floated down around us. There was no wind, just the gentle swirl of color. It was a breathtaking and ethereal moment, and when my sister and I looked at each other, we both started crying. Because it felt like, just for a moment, they were reassuring us that all would be well in the end.
