Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

General Information Common Name  Japanese Larch Scientific Name  Larix kaempferi Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  20 to 40 m (66 - 132 ft) Spread  10 -15 m (33 - 48 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  Green 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. daempferi

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi commonly known as Japanese Larch is native to Japan. This species of larch is easily distinguished from the European Larch by its blue-green foliage in summer and the reddish appearance of its bare branches in winter.

It is a medium-sized to large deciduous coniferous tree. It is grows 20–40 m (66 – 132 ft) in height, with a trunk up to 1 m (3.3 ft) diameter. The crown is broad conic; both the main branches and the side branches are level, the side branches only rarely drooping.

The young terminal growth shoots are pendulous and long, russet colored, and by their second year are red with waxy bloom, shallowly furrowed, and roughened by needle bases of the previous year. The winter buds at their tips are reddish-brown and resinous; the buds at the sides are smaller. The pointed needles, 2.5-3.5 cm (1-1.5 in) long are scattered around the young shoots (‘juvenile’ foliage), but on the older twigs are in rosette of twenty to thirty, all springing from a short spur shoot. They are soft and blue-green, slightly wider than those of European Larch, with two stomatal bands beneath, and they fade to a rich orange color before they fall in autumn.

The flowers of both sexes are found on the same tree, and they are smaller than those of European Larch. They appear a little in advance of the needles. The small round brown males are set on the underside of the branches, and are pale yellow when ripe. The female conelets are erect and cream or greenish, with reflexed bracts. They later harden, and become brown squat and broad cones, with scales which are reflexed at their edges. The cones stand are erect, are rounded in outline, and are 2.5-3.5 cm (1-1.5 in) long. They ripen by October, and their scales open though the cones persist on the tree for an indefinite time.

The bark of young trees is at first smooth and reddish, becoming thick, brown and scaly or finely fissured with age. The branches are irregular, mostly horizontal and often the leader has a corkscrew formation 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.

Foresters appreciate this tree as a fast starter, though not, overall, a producer of very high volume. It is practically free of canker, and is useful for suppressing ground vegetation, though it will not withstand shade itself.

Hybrid Larch, L. X eurolepis Henry, is a natural cross between European Larch and natural cross between European Larch and Japanese Larch first raised in 1897 (accidentally) and in 1904 (deliberately) at Dunkeld in Perthshire. It first arose through the chance cross-pollination of female flowers of Japanese Larch by male flowers of the European kind. It shows remarkable ‘hybrid vigour’, growing faster than either of its parents, and has been planted on a considerable scale, but seed is still scarce. Its botanical characteristics are variable, but intermediate between those of the two parents. 

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Leaves of Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch Leaves

Leaves Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi Flower

Flower of Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Young plants of Japanese Larch

Japanese Larch in Autumn

Larix kaempferi in Autumn

Japanese Larch in Wild

Forest of Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Bark of Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi - Japanese Larch as Ornamental Plant

Video Japanese Larch: