Siberian Larch
'Larix Sibirica'
A large pyramidal deciduous conifer with spreading horizontal branches. Needles are densely clustered on short spurs.
Needles turn attractive yellow and are shed each fall.
The largest tree in North Dakota is 55 feet tall with a canopy spread of 18 feet.
Information
Height & Growth
Growth Habit – Spreading lateral branches.
Texture – Medium-fine, summer; medium, winter.
Crown Height – 30 to 60 feet.
Crown Width – 15 to 25 feet.
Bark Color – Dark brown, to grayish-brown, and scaly.
Root System – Root spread is equal to the height of the
tree and varies from 1 to 4 feet deep.
Soils
Soil Texture – Intolerant of dry, heavy, shallow, chalky
soils.
Soil pH – 5.0 to 7.5.
Windbreak Suitability Group – 1, 3, 5.
Cold Hardiness
USDA Zone 2.
Water & Light
Water
Prefers moist well-drained sites, but trial plantings on dry sites are performing well.
Light
Full sun, intolerant of shade
Leaves & Buds
Bud Arrangement – Spirally on short spurs.
Bud Color – Light brown.
Bud Size – Small, short, pointed, with many brown
pointed scales.
Leaf Type and Shape – Needles are borne in clusters on
short shoot spurs, singly on long shoots.
Leaf Margins – Smooth.
Leaf Surface – Smooth, soft, flattened.
Leaf Length – 1 to 1½ inches.
Leaf Width – Needles.
Leaf Color – Light green in spring, dark green in summer,
yellow in fall, absent in winter.
Flowers & Fruits
Flower Type – Monoecious, separate male and female
strobili.
Flower Color – Male are yellow; females are red to green.
Fruit Type – Cones, 1½ to 2 inches, borne upright on the
branch, small winged seed.
Fruit Color – Brown cones, yellow-brown seed
Best Uses
Conservation/Windbreaks
Medium to tall deciduous conifer for farmstead and field
windbreaks.
Wildlife
Nesting sites for song birds.
Agroforestry Products
Wood – Rot resistant heartwood for posts, poles, railroad
ties, and mine timbers.
Medicinal – Used as a stimulant, diuretic and for control of
certain skin diseases.
Urban/Recreational
Good hardy landscape tree for parks, yards and other
landscape sites. Yellow fall color is quite striking
Pests & Disease
Melamspora leaf rust is a locally common disease.