In the wild, Larix decidua , European larches can grow 30 to 40 meters tall. Also known as the common larch, they belong to the Pinaceae family. They are one of the few conifers that shed their leaves in winter.
While other species have more demanding growth requirements, larches are a pioneer species which grow on poor soil that they help enrich . Hence why EcoTree plants European larches in poor soils of some forests. The larch's good wind resistance makes it an ideal tree in windy regions such as Brittany and Limousin.
This pioneer species grows in poor soil that it helps to enrich . Its largest natural populations are in Central Europe. In the Alps, they grow at a latitude of 1,400 to 2,400 meters.
In their natural state, on the south-facing slopes (the sunny side), they are found below 1,400 meters in the company of Scots pines and on the north-facing slopes they accompany Swiss pines and spruces above 2,000 meters. They are also found among rowans and field maples.
This mountain species has been intentionally planted on plains to take advantage of its wood and its ability to enrich poor soils. Larches are very cold resistant and can acclimatize to heavy or moderate rainfalls. However, they don't tolerate compact or hydromorphic soils which can cause larch canker. They can't bare droughts, but survive high temperature variations (a 50° difference in the same day) in their natural mountain range.
Their deep and highly developed root system burrows firmly into the ground, meaning it needs deep soil to be able to settle there completely.
This gives larches exceptional wind resistance, so much so that windfall is hardly a concern to them.
This tree is sometimes called the oak of the mountain because of the exceptional quality of wood it produces. Worth the long wait, larches are the most durable and solid of the coniferous woods.
Rot-proof, they are used for the design of boats, framing, roof shingles, and railway ties.
Larches also have good medicinal properties in their needles. Briançon manna, a product that seeps from larch needles, is used to increase white blood cell count and the tree's resin tree, Venetian turpentine, has an antiseptic quality.
Larches are elegant trees in any season. They symbolize maternal love because they commonly offer shelter to squirrels and birds. Thanks to their impermeable bark, owls enjoy calling larches home.
The European larch is therefore an original gift for Mother's Day : a gift that gets prettier every year! It's an original and eco-friendly Mother's Day gift idea.
What if, this year, you gave her a "bouquet of trees" in a beautiful forest?