Larix Decidua

The Larix Decidua is commonly known as Common Larch, as well as European Larch

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Growing Regions

The native range of European larch is separated into four distinct, closed regions plus several outliers centered in the Alps. It extends from Switzerland south to Italy [3,14,15]. European larch been widely planted throughout Europe and Great Britain, and has also been planted in southern Canada and the northeastern United States. It has become naturalized in Maine, Michigan, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island [12,22,24].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name for European larch is Larix decidua Mill. (Pinaceae) [12]. There are four or five geographic races, sometimes given status as subspecies or varieties (Alpen [Alpine], Sudeten, Tatra, Polen [Polish], Rumanian) [17,25]: L. d. var. decidua L. d. var. pendula Henk and Hochst. [7] L. d. var. polonica Raciborski [15] L. d. var. sudetica [15] L. d. var. tatrensis [15] European larch hybridizes with Japanese larch (L. leptolepis) when they are planted together (they are not sympatric). The hybrid, L. xeurolepis A. Henry, is called the Dunkeld larch [3,7].

European larch is a subalpine or montane species, occurring in the Alps
with Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra) and mountain pine (P. montana).  It
sometimes occurs naturally in pure stands [25].  At middle elevations
its associates include Norway spruce (Picea abies) and European silver
fir (Abies alba), and at the lowest elevations it may be found with
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) [3].

• More Larix Decidua Information

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