The larch belongs to the conifers, which is easy to recognize by its needles. But she also steps out of line, for example with the autumn needle drop. Will this tree grow as old as the rest of the tree family?

Larches can live for several hundred years; unfortunately their wood is very popular

A tree for several generations

The larch is usually only a few years old when it moves from a tree nursery to its permanent destination. It is between 30 and 120 cm long and its trunk is thinner than the human arm. But that will change quickly.

Anyone who brings this tree into their own garden is planning for the long term. It can accompany its owner for life and future generations as well. Everyone can enjoy the larch.

The maximum possible age

The larch expects an old age that is unattainable for us humans:

  • most larches can live 200 to 400 years
  • some trees also reach up to 600 years

There should even be copies that have exceeded 1000. But they are certainly an exception and hidden somewhere in the deepest forest.

In a private garden no larch will reach such a biblical age. Over the centuries the land will change many owners, it would be a miracle if the larch were allowed to remain untouched.

Different types of larch

The European larch is the native species, but there are other species that we cultivate. There are, for example, the Japanese larch and the Siberian larch. All species reach old age, the differences are so small that they are not worth mentioning.

changes in appearance

When young, the larch only shows us its green needles. These remain on the tree from spring to autumn before they fall off in a yellow color. The crown is conical and its trunk smooth and gray. It will take 15 to 40 years to flower.

A very old larch has a brown trunk covered with thick bark and a spreading crown. The tree is then higher than 50 m and has a trunk diameter of approx. 2 m.

Shorter lifetime for assets

In this country, almost every piece of forest is managed with the aim of getting as much income as possible from it. Larch trees are popular for their wood, which is one of the hardest of the conifers. It is ideal as a load-bearing construction timber, also for outdoor areas.

Larches are therefore already "harvested" after 120 to 140 years of life.

Category:

Trees