Larix laricina

Character & interest

The main appeal is a true “four-season” effect: soft foliage in spring, a luminous silhouette in summer, blazing yellow in autumn, then elegant twigs and small persistent cones in winter. This is a tree of cold regions: it performs best where summers are not scorching hot.

Colours

• Spring–summer : light green to mid-green needles, soft.

• Autumn : highly decorative golden yellow, then needle drop.

• Winter : bare tree, elegant twigs and visible small cones.

Habit & vigour

When young, an open pyramidal habit with rather horizontal branches; with age it becomes a slender tree with a strong presence. Moderate to good vigor in suitable conditions (cool soil, cool climate). The species is very poorly tolerant of dense shade.

Indicative size

Typical ranges cited in cultivation:

• generally 12 to 18 m tall (sometimes more),

• about 4.5 to 9 m spread,

• smaller in very northern conditions, larger in a favorable, cool site.

Exposure

When young, an open pyramidal habit with rather horizontal branches; with age it becomes a slender tree with a strong presence. Moderate to good vigor in suitable conditions (cool soil, cool climate). The species is very poorly tolerant of dense shade.

Origin & history

A species native to northern North America, widely distributed from subarctic regions southwards (down to the Maryland region according to botanical databases). It is often associated with bogs, swamps and cool woodlands, and can occur up to the treeline in very cold climates.
Common botanical synonyms: Larix americana; the old basionym Pinus laricina is also found in the literature.