Trees Planet: Larix decidua

General Information

Common Name	European Larch
Scientific Name	*Larix decidua*
Sun Tolerance	Full Sun
Height	25 to 45 m (82 - 148 ft)
Spread	15 -20 m (50 - 66 ft)
Growth Rate	Fast
Bloom Time	Spring
Color	Green,
Flower Color	Pink
Type	Tree
Native	Africa, Asia, Europe, USA.

Classification

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Coniferophyta – Conifers
Class	Pinopsida
Subclass
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae – Pine family
Genus	Larix Spach. – Larch
Species	L. decidua

Larix decidua - European Larch

Larix decidua commonly known as European Larch is native to Europe. It is best known deciduous conifer in Europe. The European appreciate it as a tree graceful in form, and of airy light foliage which reflects so well the passing of changing seasons.

L. decidua is a medium-size to large growing tree that grows 25–45 m (82 – 148 ft) in height, with a trunk up to 1 m (3.3 ft) diameter, specifically it grows up to 55 m (180 ft) tall with 2 m (6.6 ft) diameter trunk. The crown of the tree is looks like a conic when young and becoming broad with age; the main branches are level to upswept, with the side branches often pendulous.

The young terminal shoots are pendulous and long, straw colored, shallowly furrowed, and roughened in their second season by needle bases of the previous year. The brown winter buds at their tips have many scales, and are non-resinous; the buds at the sides are smaller. The short spur shoots become very dark brown, with buds that are short and rounded. The pointed needles, 3 – 3.5 cm (1.2 – 1.5 in) long, are scattered around the young shoots (‘juvenile’ foliage), but on the older twigs are in rosettes of twenty to thirty, all springing from a short spur shoot. They are soft and bright emerald green at first, becoming duller later, and fade to a pale straw color before they fall in autumn.

Both sexes of flowers are found on the same tree. The flowers appear a little in advance of the needles. The small round males (found on the underside of the twigs) are clusters of golden anthers when ripe. The females are erect and usually rosy-pink – a soft conelet, which later hardens and turns cylindrical, with brown closed scales. The cones stand erect, have tapering outline and are 2.5-3.5 cm (1 – 1.5 in) long. They ripen by October, and their scales open, though they persist on the tree for an indefinite time.

At first the bark is thin and greyish-brown, becoming thick, brown (sometimes with a purplish sheen) and fissured longitudinally with age, when it is sometimes shed in small plates. The inner layers show a carmine-red tint. Some stems are disfigured by canker. The branches are irregular, mostly downswept from the trunk, and then upturning. The fairly narrow sapwood is yellowish, and the heartwood is reddish-brown. It is coarse in texture and resinous, but strong, hard and naturally durable, providing a multi-purpose timber, particularly used for fencing, gates, and estate repair work, also for the planking of fishing boats.

Though a well-established tree, European Larch is not widely planted now because Japanese and Hybrid Larch grow faster and are canker-free; only certain strains of European Larch avoid this trouble. Yet the trees is of rapid early growth, sometimes exceeding 60 feet in 20 years.

Hybrid Larch, L. eurolepis Henry, an important natural cross, is referred to under Japanese Larch.