Tamarack inhabit wet, marshy areas. Tamarack have clusters very light green needles about one to two inches long randomly dispersed through out its branches. The tamarack never really fills out and will have a sparse, almost sickly appearance. Many of the northwoods lakes receive their lightly stained color from the acids emitted from the tamarack's roots. The cedar has flat groupings of scaly leaves or needles.
Cedars love low lying wet areas especially near rapids and shorelines.
The light brown scruffy looking bark hides a strong wood excellent for building. The cedar also has a refreshing scent. It is a temptation to pull the white peeling bark from a birch tree , but please don't. Removing bark from trees exposes it to bugs and disease and a certain death. Young birch trees have a deep reddish brown bark.