James H. Schutte
Family
Pinaceae
Botanical Name
Larix sibirica
Plant Common Name
Siberian Larch
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
A tall and narrow tree with somewhat upward-held branches, the Siberian larch has finely textured, soft needles that become yellow in autumn and drop before winter. From the mountains of Europe eastward into northern and central Asia, this cone-bearing tree is deciduous with a sienna brown bark that is scaly and lightly ridged. With age it attains a very narrow pyramidal shape.
In spring the thin yellow-gray branches fill with short, soft, light green needles that have two white bands on their undersides. Rather than spring flowers, this tree produces both male and female cones. Male cones are small, round and yellow, whereas the female cones are more cylindrical in shape and colored red, pink, yellow or green. The fertilized female cones develop into purple and then brown woody cones that are oval and decorate the yellow branches for an additional year, attracting birds.
Grow Siberian larch in full sun locations in any variety of deep soil that has good drainage. As it is deciduous, it is very tolerant of many conditions including very cold, windy or seasonally dry areas. Use it as a specimen tree in the landscape or in a grove cluster near a lake, pond or other conifers that will be a nice dark backdrop to its yellow fall foliage.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
5 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
1 - 5
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Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b
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Plant Type
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
30'-90' / 9.1m - 27.4m
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Width
10'-15' / 3.0m - 4.6m
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Bloom Time
Spring
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Native To
Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Central Asia, Nepal, China
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Insignificant
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Flower Color
Red, Green, Light Pink
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Fruit Color
Purple, Tan, Brown
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Light Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Yellow
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Bark Color
Brown, Sienna
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Fine
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Fissured
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Usage
Feature Plant
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Birds
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Self-Sowing
Yes
