Another name for the tamarack or larch tree, particularly used in North America for its strong, durable wood used in shipbuilding.
From Algonquian languages, variant of 'hackmack.' The different spellings arose as European settlers had different ears for the Indigenous word, and both versions remained in use in different regions.
Early American shipbuilders prized this wood because it's extremely rot-resistant in water—so many historic ships' frames were made of hackmatack, making it one of the most important trees that most people have never heard of.
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