How to Care Larches

Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) is an attractive conifer that often graces large gardens, parks, and public spaces. However, this is also a popular species in bonsai and several dwarf cultivars exist that are better suited to smaller gardens. The tree's wood is strong and long-lasting and is used for construction and fencing. The specific epithet, kaempferi, honors German naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer.

European larch (*Larix decidua*) is a conifer that originates in mountainous regions in Central Europe. Widespread cultivation began in the 17th century, and many Dukes advocated for planting european larch. The tree is planted for ornamental purposes in gardens, and the wood is also used commercially. European larch wood is thought to be particularly useful for building yachts.

Olga Bay larch or Olgan larch (Larix olgensis) a species of larch is named after Olga Bay in the Sea of Japan. The common name in Japanese language is 満洲唐松 (Manshu'u Kara-matsu). The common name in Chinese is 黄花落叶松 (pinyin: huang hua luo ye song). This species occurs in Central Sikhote-Alin and rarely occurs in North Korea and Jilin and eastern Heilongjiang provinces of China between 500 and 1100 metres in elevation. This deciduous coniferous tree grows to 25–30 meters tall with a trunk reaching a meter in diameter at breast high with gray to gray-brown bark with flaking and scaly fissured bark. Its leaves are needle-like dark-green 1.5–3 cm long and 1 cm wide. The reddish purple or violet cones mature to light brown sometimes tinged with purple and range from 18 to 25 mm long. Pollination occurs in spring with seeds maturing in fall-fall. It grows in mountains and on moist slopes and in swamps. The timber has many uses in construction and for wood fiber. The trunk is used to produce resin while the bark is used for tannins. Olga Bay larch is sometimes treated as a variety of Dahurian Larch Larix gmelinii var. olgensis (Ostenf. & Syrach). Larix olgensis is a vulnerable species.

Tamarack (Larix laricina) goes by many names, including hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, and red larch. In the Algonquin language, tamarack means "wood used for snowshoes." Early settlers would leave the stumps after cutting one of these trees down. Later, they would harvest them. These naturally curved stumps were perfect for use as ship knees when putting together a boat.

Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii shed their leaves annually in the fall, and their needles turn a golden yellow when this happens. Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii have coarse-grained and heavy wood, so it is popular in the shipping and construction industries; it has been used for telephone poles, timber, and railroad ties, among other creations.

Western larch is a tall, deciduous conifer with a conical shape, reaching heights of up to 180 feet. It boasts clustered needle-like leaves that turn a vivid yellow before shedding in the fall. The rugged bark and small, woody cones are characteristic of western larch, reflecting its adaptation to mountainous terrains and cold climates.

Pseudolarix is a monotypic genus of coniferous trees in the pine family Pinaceae. It has a sole species. It is native to eastern China, occurring in small areas in the mountains of southern Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and eastern Sichuan. It is a deciduous coniferous tree reaching 30 to 40 m tall, with a broad conic crown. The leaves are bright green, with two glaucous stomatal bands on the underside. The cones are distinctive, superficially resembling a small globe artichoke, with pointed triangular scales; they mature about 7 months after pollination, when (like fir and cedar cones) they disintegrate to release the winged seeds.

A group of evergreen trees, firs are tall conifers that can grow as high as 76 m. They are easily recognized by the unusual way their slender, needle-sized leaves attach to each stem via a basal structure that looks like a small suction cup. The cones of firs are different than pine cones, as they stand erect rather than drooping and tend to be more slender than those of true pine trees.

Spruces are a group of coniferous trees that are of great value to humans in many ways. The wood is used in everything from housing and frame construction to papermaking and crafting musical instruments. Most species grow in handsome, conical shapes, making them popular ornamentals. Many boreal and temperate high-altitude forests around the world are also comprised largely of spruces, making them tremendously ecologically important.

Larches shed their leaves annually in the fall, and their needles turn a golden yellow when this happens. Larches have coarse-grained and heavy wood, so it is popular in the shipping and construction industries; it has been used for telephone poles, timber, and railroad ties, among other creations.

Hemlocks are a small group of coniferous trees that are both elegant and useful. These trees have a conical or irregular crown with a graceful drooping habit, making them attractive options to plant in backyards and gardens. The wood is used as wood pulp, which is necessary to make paper and cardboard products. The bark is used in tanning leather.

Keteleeria are evergreen trees reaching 35 m tall. The leaves are flat, needle-like. The cones are erect. The genus is found in Asia.

Nothotsuga contains only one species, nothotsuga is an evergreen tree reaching 30 m tall. The leaves are flat, needle-like, 1.3 to 4 cm long and 1.02 to 2 mm broad, very similar to those of Tsuga. The cones are very similar to those of Keteleeria, but smaller, 2.5 to 5 cm long, erect, and mature in about 6–8 months after pollination. Nothotsuga contains only one species, which is found in southeastern China, in southern Fujian, northern Guangdong, northeast Guangxi, northeast Guizhou, and southwest Hunan.

Cedars are a small but widely cultivated group of coniferous trees. Sporting beautiful foliage and bark, many species have been used as ornamentals in warm-temperate parks and gardens worldwide for centuries. Not only does the wood tend to boast both rich color and beautiful grain, but it also has bug-repellent properties. These traits have made the wood useful and valuable for millennia. For example, chests made from cedars have been used to store woolen goods since ancient times since the wood repels moths that feed on wool.