Larch, European
Larix decidua
Pinaceae - Pine

Description

Leaves: Needles borne singly; 3/4" to 1-1/4" long; deciduous; bright green, turning yellow in fall; triangular or 4-sided in cross-section; soft; alternately arranged on new growth, on older growth occurring in dense clusters of 30 to 40 on spur shoots.

Twigs/buds: Twigs slender; glabrous; orange-brown; obvious spur shoots on older growth. Buds round; dark red- brown.

Flowers/fruit: Monoecious. Fruit a cone; 3/4" to 1-1/2" long; upright; 40 to 50 thin scales; green or purple turning brown at maturity.

Bark: Thin and smooth on young stems; gray-brown and scaly on older stems.

Wood: Not widely used; sapwood yellowish-white; heartwood yellowish-brown; strong; hard; durable; used for poles, railroad ties, lumber.

General: Native to the mountains of northern and central Europe. Does well in Utah with a moderate growth rate and is quite cold-tolerant. Shade intolerant. Prefers abundant water, but may survive on drier sites. Deciduous conifer (loses its needles every year).

Landscape Use: Beautiful tree with great, golden fall color. Deciduous character is interesting but not everyone likes its winter appearance. Trees I have seen are generally large with strongly pointed, cone-shaped canopys. Zones 2-6.

Cultivars: 'Fastigiata', 'Pendula', 'Varied Directions'.

Characteristics

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