Tamarack

For many Nordic peoples, the larch was considered a mystical tree that provided links between the stars and the underworld. Ritual leaders would enter into a symbiotic relationship with the larch to explore the heavens and the underworld, in order to communicate with the departed. This may be explained by the fact that its crown sometimes towers up to 45 metres high, by the staggered appearance of its branches and by its tortuous roots, which are sometimes visible. 

Conifers are used to keeping their needles, even during the cold season. The larch is an exception to this rule. Every autumn, it takes on golden hues, only to strip completely bare to face winter. Its needles are the thinnest and most fragile of Quebec's conifers. They're so fragile that if they didn't fall off, they'd all be damaged by the first cold snap. Losing its needles is an extra layer of protection that enables it to colonize the coldest habitats on the planet. 

This tree represents self-improvement and singularity.