''Larix decidua'', the European larch, is a species of

larch Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains fur ...

native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains as well as the Pyrenees, with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania. It is widely naturalized in Scandinavia. Its life span has been confirmed to be close to 1000 years (with claims of up to 2000 years) but is more often around 200 years. It is claimed that one of the larches planted by the second

Duke of Atholl Duke of Atholl, named for Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male of ...

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...

in 1738 is still standing.

Description

''Larix decidua'' is a medium-size to large

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

coniferous

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

reaching 25–45 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter (exceptionally, to 53.8 m tall and 3.5 m diameter). The crown is conic when young, becoming broad with age; the main branches are level to upswept, with the side branches often pendulous. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots (typically 10–50 cm long) and bearing several

bud In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be spec ...

s, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are needle-like, light green, 2–4 cm long which turn bright yellow before they fall in the autumn, leaving the pale yellow-buff shoots bare until the next spring. The

cones A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequently, though not necessarily, circular) to a point called the apex or vertex. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, or lines conn ...

are erect, ovoid-conic, 2–6 cm long, with 10-90 erect or slightly incurved (not reflexed) seed scales; they are green variably flushed red when immature, turning brown and opening to release the

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s when mature, 4–6 months after pollination. The old cones commonly remain on the tree for many years, turning dull grey-black. It is very cold tolerant, able to survive winter temperatures down to at least -50 °C, and is among the

tree line The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snowp ...

trees in the Alps, reaching 2400 m altitude, though most abundant from 1000–2000 m. It only grows on well-drained soils, avoiding waterlogged ground and is not

shade tolerant In ecology, shade tolerance is a plant's ability to tolerate low light levels. The term is also used in horticulture and landscaping, although in this context its use is sometimes imprecise, especially in labeling of plants for sale in commercial ...

Cultivation

It is thought to have been first cultivated in Britain in 1629.

John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's diary, or ...

encouraged its wider planting and use. Three successive

Dukes of Atholl Duke of Atholl, named for Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male of ...

planted it widely and the fourth Duke wrote "Observations on Larch" in 1807 encouraging further its cultivation, which he practiced on a large scale. European larch is widely cultivated in southern Canada and the northeastern United States. It has been naturalized in Maine, Michigan, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island. In the northern Appalachian Mountains it is often used for the

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debat ...

of surface mines. European larch can grow on drier soils and tolerate warmer climates than the native

tamarack ''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and als ...

, being better suited to non-boreal climates.

Subtaxa

The following varieties are accepted: *''Larix decidua'' var. ''carpatica'' Domin – the Carpathians *''Larix decidua'' var. ''decidua'' – European larch or Alpine larch. Most of the range, except as below. Cones 2.5–6 cm; shoots yellow-buff. *''Larix decidua'' var. ''polonica'' (Racib. ex Wóycicki) Ostenf. & Syrach – Polish larch. Disjunct in lowland northern Poland. Cones 2–3 cm; shoots very pale yellow-buff, almost white.

Uses

''Larix decidua'' is cultivated as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

for planting in gardens and parks. ;Wood The wood is tough and durable, but also flexible in thin strips, and is particularly valued for yacht building; wood used for this must be free of knots, and can only be obtained from old trees that were pruned when young to remove side branches. Small larch poles are widely used for rustic fencing. ;Other Because of its fast juvenile growth and its pioneer character, larch has found numerous applications in forestry and agroforestry. It is used as a ‘preparatory species’ to afforest open land, abandoned farmland or disturbed land and as a ‘nurse species’ prior to the introduction of more demanding species.

Bonsai

The European larch is a popular bonsai species, with many unique specimens available in European circles, and is popularly used in bonsai forest groups.

Ecology

The seeds are an important food for some birds, notably

siskin The name siskin when referring to a bird is derived from an adaptation of the German dialect words ''sisschen'', ''zeischen'', which are diminutive forms of Middle High German (''zîsec'') and Middle Low German (''ziseke'', ''sisek'') words, which ...

lesser redpoll The lesser redpoll (''Acanthis cabaret'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. It is the smallest, brownest, and most streaked of the redpolls. It is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the common redpoll (''Acanthis ...

and

citril finch The citril finch (''Carduelis citrinella''), also known as the Alpine citril finch, is a small songbird, a member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. For a long time, this cardueline finch was placed in the genus '' Serinus'', but it is ...

, while the buds and immature cones are eaten by capercaillie. European larch needles are the only known food for

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s of the case-bearer moth ''

Coleophora sibiricella ''Coleophora sibiricella'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae first described by Mark I. Falkovitsh in 1972. It is found in Finland, Sweden, north-western Russia and Siberia. Adults are on wing in June and July. The larvae feed on ''Larix'' ...

''; its cone scales are used as food by the caterpillars of the

tortrix moth The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus ...

Cydia illutana __NOTOC__ ''Cydia illutana'' is a small moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from western and central Europe (Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and France), north to Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) and east ...

''.

Invasive species

''Larix decidua'' is classed as a

wilding conifer Wilding conifers, also known as wilding pines, are invasive trees in the high country of New Zealand. Millions of dollars are spent on controlling their spread. In the South Island they threaten 210,000 hectares of public land administered by ...

, an invasive species which spreads into the high country of New Zealand. It was planted by the

New Zealand Forest Service The New Zealand Forest Service was originally established in 1919 as the State Forest Service. The State Forest Service changed its name to the New Zealand Forest Service in 1949, at about the same time that the Forests Act of 1949 passed through ...

for erosion control.

Gallery

File:Mélèze en Automne.JPG, Siberian larch in autumn colour. File:Albeck Seebachern bizarre Laerche 25102013 872.jpg, Larch emunicipality Albeck, district Feldkirchen, Carinthia / Austria File:Larix decidua Scotland.JPG, Early spring foliage. File:Quelques Mélèzes.JPG, European larch woodland in summer, Alpes-Maritimes,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. File:Larix decidua0.jpg, European larch foliage and cones. File:Larix decidua developing cone.JPG, Developing seed cone in detail. File:Larix-decidua 0088 S.jpg, Young seed cones (red) and pollen cones (yellow). File:Larix decidua needles and male cones.JPG, Young needles and male 'flowers' or strobili. File:ArmentaraFels.jpg, South Tyrol, Wengen-La Val-La Valle File:Larix decidua Embrun1.jpg, Parc régional du Queyras, Embrun, Hautes-Alpes, France File:Albeck Seebachern Laerchenwald 25102013 869.jpg, Autumnal forest with larches, spruces and arolla pines at Seebachern File:Larch planted on a scree slope.JPG, European larch planted for erosion control on a

scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. Talus deposits typically ...

slope in Canterbury, New Zealand. File:Bergtocht van Peio Paese naar Lago Covel in het Nationaal park Stelvio (Italië). Wond van een afgebroken tak. Europese larix (Larix decidua) 02.jpg, Wound from a broken branch. File:Larix decidua female cone 2.jpg, Young female cone File:Larix decidua male cones 2.jpg, Male cones File:Larix decidua AA.jpg, Larix decidua var. polonica 1962 accession in fall, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

References

External links

''Larix decidua'' images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
*Friedman, William (Ned)
"Spring larch pilgrimage."
'Posts from the Collection'', Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 17 April 2018. Accessed 6 May 2020.
Images of ''Larix decidua'' (European larch)

''Larix decidua''
Information, genetic conservation units and related resources.

European Forest Genetic Resources Programme European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) is an international network that supports the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe. The programme’s tasks include to coordinate and promote '' in situ'' an ...

(EUFORGEN) {{Authority control

decidua The decidua is the modified mucosal lining of the uterus (that is, modified endometrium) that forms every month, in preparation for pregnancy. It is shed off each month when there is no fertilised egg to support. The decidua is under the influ ...

Trees of Europe Flora of France Flora of the Alps Flora of Austria Flora of the Czech Republic Flora of Estonia Flora of Germany Flora of Italy Flora of Lithuania Flora of Poland Flora of Romania Flora of Switzerland Flora of Ukraine Least concern plants Trees of humid continental climate Garden plants of Europe Ornamental trees Deciduous conifers Taxa named by Philip Miller Flora of the Carpathians