Western Larch
Larix occidentalis
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Red, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal.
Larix occidentalis is a deciduous Tree growing to 45 m (147ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. The seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 45
Where it is found
Mountain valleys and lower slopes, often in swampy areas, usually in mixed stands.
Western N. America - British Columbia to Montana, south to Washington and Oregon.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
A gum, or resin, is produced under the bark. It is a gum arabic substitute, very soluble in water, and is used as a thickening agent, stabilizer, emulsifier and for chewing. It exudes from the trunk and branches but commercially it is usually obtained by extraction from wood chips as a by-product of the lumber industry. The sap can be harvested in the spring and, when concentrated by boiling off much of the water, is made into a sweet syrup. A source of an edible manna. No further details are given, but this report probably refers to the gum mentioned above.
Manna: this is a sweet substance that exudes naturally from certain plants, usually from the stems.
Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The gum obtained from under the bark is used as a dressing in the treatment of cuts and bruises. An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds and tuberculosis. A decoction has been used as a wash on wounds and sores. The sap has been chewed in the treatment of a sore throat. The leaves and stems are antirheumatic, antiseptic, appetizer and blood purifier. A decoction has been used both internally and externally in the treatment of cancer, and is said to help an emaciated patient get better and gain weight. A decoction of the stem tips has been taken internally and also used as a soak on arthritic limbs and as a wash for cuts and sores.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Blood purifier: Purifies the blood.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Salve: Soothes and heals damaged skin.
Other
Rating: 3
A red powder can be made by heating the resin and then grinding it. This powder was mixed with fat and used as a cosmetic, or mixed with balsam poplar buds (Populus spp.) and used as a paint. The bark contains tannin. Wood - hard, strong, very heavy, very durable in the soil. The tree produces long straight knotless trunks and is a very important commercial crop in its native range. It is used for posts, cabinet making, construction, plywood etc. A very good fuel.
Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Paint: Plants used directly as a paint. Does not include oil plants and dyes that can be used as ingredients in paints.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Timber: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally.
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Regional Timber: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Specimen. Prefers an open airy position in a light or gravelly well-drained soil. Plants are intolerant of badly drained soils, but they tolerate acid and infertile soils. Succeeds on rocky hill or mountain sides and slopes. A north or east aspect is more suitable than west or south. This is a very cold-hardy species when fully dormant, but on the whole the trees are a disappointment in Britain. They are often excited into premature growth in this country by periods of mild weather in the winter and are then subject to damage by late frosts and cold winds. They also often suffer from canker and die-back. Good trees, however, can be very good and fast growing, often putting on new annual growth of 1 metre when young. Older trees develop a very thick bark, which protects them from forest fires. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Open ground plants, 1 year x 1 year are the best for planting out, do not use container grown plants with spiralled roots. Plants transplant well, even when coming into growth in the spring. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Special Features:North American native, Wetlands plant, Attractive flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - sow late winter in pots in a cold frame. One months cold stratification helps germination. It is best to give the seedlings light shade for the first year. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots. Although only a few centimetres tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions in the summer providing you give them an effective weed-excluding mulch and preferably some winter protection for their first year. Otherwise grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in early summer of the following year. The seed remains viable for 3 years If you are growing larger quantities of plants, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in late winter. Grow on the seedlings in the seedbed for a couple of years until they are ready to go into their permanent positions then plant them out during the winter.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 2-6
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist