European Larch

European larch
common larch

European larch is an introduced deciduous conifer. Mature height
usually ranges from 30 to 130 feet (9-40 m) in the United States and
Canada; larger individuals have occasionally been reported, particularly
from Europe (up to 177 feet [54 m]) [10,17]. The needles are spirally
arranged in fascicles of 30 to 65 needles, on short shoots. The bark of
young trees is thin, smooth, developing fissures as it matures. On
older trees the bark is very flaky and heavily ridged with wide fissures
[14,15]. In the Alps, the bark at the base of very old trunks is up to
1 foot (30 cm) thick [3]. The crown of young trees is symmetrical,
open, and narrowly conic. Old trees often have large, buttressed low
branches that run level for 8 to 10 feet (2.4-3 m) before turning upward
[10,15]. European larch is characterized as deep-rooted [25].

European larch exhibits rapid early growth and occasionally early
senescence (at 30 to 40 years of age), particularly in mixed stands.
The average age at senescence is between 100 and 150 years of age [10];
ages of 600 years or more have been reported for European larch in the
Alps [3,25]. The oldest European larch on record was 672 years old in
1955. Record height for European larch is reported as 184 feet (56 m)
for a specimen in Baden, Germany [25].

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].

More info for the terms: fire regime, forest

Information was not available regarding fire ecology or adaptations of
European larch. However, young European larch is probably susceptible to
fire because the bark is thin. Thick bark on mature European larch [15]
and the ability to produce new foliage each year may make them somewhat
fire resistant. In Europe, European larch commonly occurs in
upper-elevation forest zones that rarely burn [10].

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".

More info for the terms: litter, natural

The thick, tightly packed litter produced by European larch may produce
fire behavior that differs from what occurs in natural fuels in North
America [18].

The caloric value of ovendried European larch needles ranged from 4,608
to 4,637 calories per gram. The caloric value of ovendry litter
averaged 3,996 calories per gram [8].

European larch was planted in a fuelbreak on a dry, sandy site in
Wexford County, Michigan, in 1967. After 6 years, European larch had the
highest survival (45 percent) and growth (60 inches [152 cm]) of the
nine species planted [23].

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More info for the term: phanerophyte

Phanerophyte

European larch grows best on uniformly moist, deep, fertile soils. It
does not do well on pure sand [10]. Preferred soil textures include
loamy sands, loams, and silty loams. European larch does not occur on
poorly drained or very wet sites [2]. It tolerates soils with a lower
pH limit ranging from 4.0 to 5.0 [10,21], and will tolerate pH of up to
7.8 [25]. In the central Alps, the upper elevational limit of European
larch ranges from 6,500 to 8,000 feet (1,981-2,438 m). The lower
elevational limit in the Alps is around 1,400 feet (427 m) [3];
plantations at lower elevations often suffer from larch canker due to
the increased moisture [25].

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

FRES10 White - red - jack pine
FRES19 Aspen - birch

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 info for the term: tree

Tree

More info for the terms: litter, seed, selection

European larch has been used in the eastern United States for
reforestation [7].

Silvicultural systems: Group selection is successful with European
larch, providing that advance regeneration has not been suppressed for
very long; suppressed seedlings do not respond well to release [13].
Planting in mixtures with more tolerant species works well if the stands
are thinned to allow European larch to maintain a dominant crown
position; it does not usually suppress its more tolerant neighbors [25].
European larch planted on slopes are susceptible to stem bending ("saber
growth form") and breakage from snow [13].

European larch grows rapidly and produces heavy litter which forms a
thick, tightly packed mat. In Wisconsin, 10-year-old European larch
plantantions produced twice as much litter by weight as 10-year-old red
pine (Pinus resinosa) [18].

Insects and disease: European larch seeds are vulnerable to seed
weevils [17], adult trees on moist sites are vulneralbe to larch canker
[25]. European larch is host to a number of insect species, none of
which have been of economic importance [25].

CT ME MI NH NY RI VT

European larch is planted as an ornamental and in shelterbelts [15].

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More info for the term: seed

The growing season of European larch in North America is at least 100
days, longer than that of many native conifers. Bud burst occurs in
early spring, before the ground has completely thawed. Height growth
continues at an appreciable rate until September [1].

The female cones appear before leaf-out in early spring and pollination
occurs from March to May or June [14,17]. The seed cones ripen from
September to December of the same year, and the seeds are dispersed from
September to spring [17]. In Great Britain, European larch cones do not
open until spring [3]. European larch needles die and are abscised in
early November in the British Isles; some are retained through December [15].

More info for the terms: cone, monoecious, seed, stratification

European larch is monoecious. Minimum age of first reproduction is
around 10 years. Large seed crops are produced at 3- to 10-year
intervals. The seeds are wind dispersed. Most larch (Larix spp.) seeds
germinate without pretreatment. European larch seeds can be stored for
3 to 7 years. Viable seeds may remain in the cone for 1 to 2 years
[17]. Stored seed germination rates are improved by stratification at
32 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (0-4 deg C) for 20 to 60 days [14].

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European larch is intolerant of shade at any age [10]. Its open crown
transmits a considerable amount of light so that it does not tend to
suppress more tolerant understory species [25].

Larix europaea D. C. [12]
Larix larix Karst. [17]

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]:

Larix decidua var. decidua
Larix decidua var. pendula Henk and Hochst. [7]
Larix decidua var. polonica Raciborski [15]
Larix decidua var. sudetica [15]
Larix decidua 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 listed by Vogel [21] with other species that are of
"limited importance or use" for revegetation of surface mine
disturbances. It is primarily used for this purpose in Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, and Ohio. It is recommended for rehabilitation of sites
at higher elevations in the northern Appalachians [21].

More info for the term: density

European larch wood is durable and strong [3], of moderately high
density, with excellent toughness and stiffness. It is used for pulp
[2], framing timber, roof tiles, flooring, and log houses. It is
suitable for veneer and other decorative purposes [14]. Larch (Larix
spp.) wood is resistant to rot, and is therefore valuable for posts,
poles, railroad ties, mine props, wharves, and pilings [3,17].