Larix decidua

Larix decidua, commonly known as the European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathians, with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania.

Description

Larix decidua is a medium-size to large deciduous coniferous tree reaching 25–45 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 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 buds, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud.

Distribution and habitat

The natural range extends from the Alps east to the Sudetes and the Carpathians, with isolated populations in the northern Rila / Pirin and eastern Rodopi mountains of Bulgaria, the northern Apennines in Italy, and the lowlands of the southern Baltic and the southern Crimea.

Uses

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.

Conservation

The European larch is widely cultivated in southern Canada and the northeastern United States. It is much more resistant to disease than the closely related Japanese larch, and in northern Europe, larch plantations are often used as a more resistant alternative to the Japanese larch.

See also

• List of Lepidoptera that feed on larches

External links

• Conifers Around the World: Larix decidua - European Larch