European Larch: characteristics & use

Why EcoTree plants European Larch

While other species have more demanding growth requirements, European Larch is a pioneer species that has the ability to grow and thrive in soil of poor quality. The species help enrich the soil. That's the reason why EcoTree plants European Larch in some of our forests that have lower soil quality. The tree's good wind resistance makes it an ideal tree for our forests in windy regions of France and Denmark.

Larch - Overview

European Larch (Larix decidua ) is a distinct variety of the Larix genus and the most common in the parts of Europe where EcoTree has forests. The French name for the European larch comes from a word that means 'honey' in the Dauphinois language, which is dominant in the Dauphiné region in Southeast France, where the tree is very common - so much so that the tree is also commonly called Pins de Briançon (after an Alpine city of the same name). The tree naturally occurs in Scandinavia and various regions of France, including Briançonnais, Queyras, Ubaye, Dévoluy and Mercantour - the French Alps.

This conifer, a member of the Pinaceae family along with Cedars, Sitka spruce, Maritime pines, and Douglas fir, is an exception among its kind. European Larches lose their needles. The needles turn yellow, red, and brown in the autumn before dropping. They are the only European conifers to have this characteristic.

Dropping their needles helps to form a supportive humus for the seeds of other conifers.

In adulthood, they grow up to 30 to 40 meters. Their bark is greyish, cracked, and very thick on older specimens.

Their needles are somewhat leathery, forming rosettes on short branches or present individually along long twigs. They are clustered in tufts composed of 35 to 40 needles along the twigs.

It's a monoecious species and their catkins bud in late spring. Male catkins can be recognised by their yellow hue. They are small, numerous, and hang down from the branches. They distribute their pollen on the wind and via insects that pollinate the female catkins. Female catkins are fewer in number, a little larger, bright red in color, and face the sky.

The cones are brown ovoids measuring 3 to 4 cm. Their fine, pointed scales protect the brown, shiny, winged seeds which they drop at the end of summer. They remain attached to the branches for a long time. It is not unusual to see both cones from the current year and the previous year at the same time. Squirrels, woodpeckers, and crossbills help spread them.

European larch is slow growing tree. It takes 20 to 30 years to reach only 3 or 4 meters. Their trunk is conical and narrow and sprouts drooping branches, like those of the spruce.

They can live up to 600 years.

Larch - Species requirements

This pioneer species grows in soils of poor quality. The species helps to enrich the soil when it drops its needles that turn into humus.

Its largest natural populations can be found 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 other pine trees and spruces above 2,000 meters. They are also found among Rowans and Field Maples.

As mountain species, European larch, has been intentionally planted on plains to take advantage of its wood and its ability to enrich poor soils. Larches are very resistant to the cold and can acclimatise to heavy or moderate rainfalls. However, they don't tolerate compact or hydromorphic soils, which can cause larch canker. They can't withstand droughts, but they can survive high temperature changes (a 50° difference in the same day) in their natural states on mountain ranges.

Their deep and highly developed root system burrows firmly into the ground, meaning it needs deep soil to be able to settle there completely. At the same time, this gives European larches exceptional wind resistance, so much so that windfall is hardly an issue for the species.

Timber from European Larch

European larch is sometimes called the oak of the mountain because of the exceptional quality of wood it produces. European larch is the most durable and solid of the coniferous woods. Thus, it's worth the long wait for it to grow big.

As the timber is rot-proof, they are used when building boats, framing, roof shingles, and railroad ties.

European larch is also said to have good medicinal properties in its needles. Briançon manna, a product that seeps from larch needles, is used to increase white blood cell count. Additionally, the tree's resin, Venetian turpentine, has an antiseptic quality.

Symbolism of the European Larch

European larch symbolises maternal love, because they are known to offer shelter to squirrels and birds. The tree often makes out the home of owls. Therefore, the European larch is an original gift for Mother's Day

Give an eco-friendly Mother's Day gift, give a bouquet of trees from a European forest!

Our selection of trees

Our goal is to enable anyone to do something that benefits nature and helps us to live in a more harmonious world. So why not become a tree owner in a European forest and help combat climate change?