Larix kaempferi aka Japanese Larch

Larix kaempferi, or Japanese larch, is a deciduous conifer from the mountains of central Japan. It belongs to the pine family and loses its needles before winter arrives. Garden trees reach 70–90 feet (21.3–27.4 metres), with crowns spreading 25–40 feet (7.6–12.2 metres). Some accounts describe trees approaching 98 feet (30 metres), with rare wild specimens reaching 150 feet (45.7 metres). Its open, conical crown carries horizontal main branches and slender branchlets that hang downward.

Gray outer bark separates into narrow strips, exposing reddish-brown layers beneath as the tree ages. Young shoots have reddish-brown coloring, while older branches carry short spurs supporting needle clusters. The soft green needles have two pale lines underneath and give the crown a fine texture. Needles also grow around longer shoots, rather than appearing only in clustered groups. Autumn changes the foliage to yellow or gold, sometimes with orange tones, before leaf fall.

This conifer produces reproductive cones rather than the petalled flowers familiar on flowering trees. Male and female strobili appear on the same tree during the early spring season. Small male structures are yellow, while female structures may appear red, pink, yellow, or green. Seed cones stand upright, turn brown with maturity, and have scales that curve outward. These scales give the cones a rosette-like appearance, and mature cones remain attached to branches.

Give Japanese larch full sun, adequate space, and deep soil that drains well while retaining moisture. Rich, acidic soil suits it best, although sources also describe tolerance of neutral conditions. It accepts light shade, but full shade, drought, and urban pollution impair its performance. Cool summers and cold winters suit it better than prolonged summer heat and humidity. Sources place it in USDA zones 4–7, while the RHS assigns its UK hardiness H7. Growth becomes rapid after a slower seedling stage, and established trees need no routine pruning.

Its size suits parks, campuses, golf courses, and spacious lawns rather than confined gardens. Gardeners also grow it as a specimen tree and train it for bonsai. Forestry plantings use its heavy, durable wood, and its bark provides tannin for other uses. Shelterbelts and some firebreak plantings also use the species, while its branches attract songbirds. Fallen needles and cones create litter, and several insects can damage the foliage. These include case-bearers, sawflies, woolly aphids, and adelgids; reported diseases include needle cast, rust, and canker. Honey fungus may affect it where present, although the degree of susceptibility remains uncertain. Plants For A Future records no known edible or medicinal uses and no known hazards.