Scientific Name
Larix decidua
Larches are one of a small number of deciduous conifers — even though in summer they seem to be evergreen and they do produce cones rather than flowers, they nonetheless lose all their foliage in the fall and regrow it the following spring. Bald cypress, another tree found on the Regis campus, is another deciduous conifer that follows this same seasonal cycle. The European larch, native to the Alps and Carpathian Mountains of central Europe, is similar to the tamarack (Larix laricina) of North American high latitudes. Both are among the most cold-hardy trees known, being able to survive where temperatures drop below −50°F. They find dealing with heat more difficult, however, especially if accompanied by high humidity. Therefore, Denver’s drier climate, as hot as it is in summer, has made it possible for us to cultivate them. The species grows very well in our northeastern states, and it has naturalized in many of them. In Europe, this larch is a prime timber tree and is grown on plantations for that purpose.
European larch develops into an attractive pyramid shape and could be used more along the Front Range. It may grow here to a height of 75 feet with a width less than half that, and the current Colorado champions are around 80 feet. However, given the rarity of the tree here, it’s difficult to estimate an average height at maturity. The foliage is soft and lacy, giving the tree a fine texture in the summer, with the needles on the elongating twigs about 1.5 inches long and somewhat smaller needles clustered on stubby side shoots that remind one of ginkgo side spurs. In the fall, the foliage turns yellow before falling. The seed cones are papery and between an inch and 1.5 inches long and are erect on the branches; they change from an initial reddish color to brown when mature. Another long-lived tree, a lifespan of 1,000 years is not unusual, and twice that is a possibility.