Description: Very large deciduous tree with narrow, conical crown of horizontal branches

Height: 25-45m, has reached 60m in some areas.

Diameter: 0.5 - 0.9m, sometimes larger

Needles: Deciduous; 2.5-4cm long, 1mm wide. Crowded in cluster on spur twigs; also alternate and scattered on leader twigs; 3-angled, stiff, sharp-pointed. Light green, turning yellow in autumn before falling.

Bark: Reddish-brown, scaly, becoming deeply furrowed into flat ridges with many overlapping plates.

Twigs: Two kinds: long leaders (orange-brown and hairy when young), and many short spurs.

Cones: 2.5-4cm long; elliptical, rich purple in summer with yellow and orange bracts, ripen purple-brown; upright on short stalks; many rounded, hairy cone-scales shorter than long-pointed bracts; paired, pale brown, long-winged seeds.

Habitat: Mountain slopes and valleys on porous, gravelly, sandy and loamy soils; with other conifers.

Range: SE British Columbia south to NW Montana and N Oregon; at 600-1700m in north; to 2150m in south.

Western Larch often follows or survives fires, later being replaced by other conifers. The natural sugar, or galactan, in the gum and wood resembles a slightly bitter honey and can be made into medicine and baking powder. Grouse eat the buds and leaves. Introduced into UK in 1881, but rare. Has reached c 25m.

Information: Audubon (1980), Mitchell (1978). See also Gymnosperm Database, USDA Silvics (1990).

Source: Seeds from Chiltern Seeds, Milnthorpe, Cumbria.

Purchased: May 1994 - failed to germinate these. Second set in February 1997.

Planted: Seeds required vernalisation (2-3 months in fridge), then germinated fairly well. Nine potted (1998.02.21 and 1998.02.26) and did well in greenhouse (up to 30cm), until a major outbreak of vine weevil killed seven outright and left one of the remaining two badly root-pruned. The latter recovered, but is still small, whilst the larger one continues to grow on outside, awaiting completion of a raised area where it will be planted at about B39G.

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