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Useful Temperate Plants

Larix gmelinii

(Rupr.) Goepp.

Pinaceae

+ Synonyms

Abies gmelinii Rupr.

Abies kamtschatica Rupr.

Abies ledebourii Rupr.

Larix amurensis Kolesn. ex Dylis

Larix cajanderi Mayr

Larix dahurica C.Lawson

Larix dahurica Turcz. ex Trautv.

Larix europaea dahurica Loudon

Larix heilingensis Y.C.Yang & Y.L.Chou

Larix kamtschatica (Rupr.) Carrière

Larix komarovii Kolesn.

Larix kurilensis Mayr

Larix ledebourii (Rupr.) Cinovskis

Larix lubarskii Sukaczev

Larix maritima Sukaczev

Larix middendorfii Kolesn.

Larix ochotensis Kolesn.

Larix olgensis A.Henry

Larix olgensis heilingensis (Y.C.Yang & Y.L.Chou) Y.L.Chou

Larix olgensis komarovii (Kolesn.) Dylis

Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr

Larix pumila (Doktur. & Flerow) Doktur. & Flerow

Larix wulingschanensis Liou & Q.L.Wang

Pinus altaica Fisch. ex Trautv.

Pinus dahurica Fisch. ex Turcz.

Pinus kamtschatica (Rupr.) Endl.

Pinus kurilensis (Mayr) Voss

Pinus larix dahurica (Loudon) Antoine

Pinus ledebourii (Rupr.) Endl.

Common Name: Dahurian Larch

No Image.

General Information

Larix gmelinii is a deciduous tree with a broad, pyramidal crown that becomes open, flat-topped and irregular with age; it can grow around 30 - 35 metres tall with a trunk 100 - 150cm in diameter[
2124
Title
A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition)
Publication
 
Author
Farjon A.
Publisher
Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands
Year
2017
ISBN
978 90 04 32449 7
Description
 
].
Dahurian larch is an extremely important timber tree in the Russian Far Eas where its wood is used for a wide range of purposes. It is also cultivated as a timber tree outside its native range; is used in afforestation projects, and is sometimes grown as an ornamental[
2124
Title
A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition)
Publication
 
Author
Farjon A.
Publisher
Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands
Year
2017
ISBN
978 90 04 32449 7
Description
 
].
Larix gmelinii is an extremely widespread species, the global population of which must count in the hundreds of millions of trees. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

e. Asia - eastern Siberia, Russian Far East, Mongolia, northern and eastern China, Korea

Habitat

Forms dense forests at high elevations[
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Hills, mountains, rocky slopes, peatlands, swamps, lowland sub-arctic plains, river basins and valleys; at elevations from 300 - 2,800 metres[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Other Uses Rating *  *  *  *
HabitDeciduous Tree
Height30.00 m
Growth RateSlow
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Larix gmelinii is a very cold-hardy species, being native to cold continental and sub-arctic-regions. It is the only tree in eastern Siberia that is found as far north as 70°N. Whenn fully dormant it can tolerate temperatures down to -50°c or lower, but in milder regions the trees can be excited into premature growth by mild spells of weather during the winter and they are then very subject to damage by late frosts and cold winds[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. In the colder parts of its range the mean annual rainfall can be no more than 400 - 500mm, rising to 1,000mm or more in milder areas[
2124
Title
A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition)
Publication
 
Author
Farjon A.
Publisher
Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands
Year
2017
ISBN
978 90 04 32449 7
Description
 
].
Prefers an open airy position in a light or gravelly well-drained soil[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants are intolerant of badly drained soils, but they tolerate acid and infertile soils[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Succeeds on rocky hill or mountain sides and slopes[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. A north or east aspect is more suitable than west or south[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is cultivated as a timber crop and for re-afforestation in Asia. It is also grown as an ornamental[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. Provenances from Siberia, which can be excited into growth and then frost-damaged by mild weather in the winter are only suitable for cold, continental and sub-arctice climates, but thos provenances from the more maritime regions of Far East Russia are far less likely to be damaged by late frosts and are therefore more suitable for cultivation in warmer parts of the temperate zone[
2124
Title
A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition)
Publication
 
Author
Farjon A.
Publisher
Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands
Year
2017
ISBN
978 90 04 32449 7
Description
 
].
Growth is normally slow in Britain with average height increases of less than 30cm per year[
185
Title
Conifers in the British Isles.
Publication
 
Author
Mitchell. A. F.
Publisher
HMSO
Year
1975
ISBN
0-11-710012-9
Description
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
].
Open ground plants, 1 year x 1 year are the best for planting out, do not use container grown plants with spiralled roots[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants transplant well, even when coming into growth in the spring[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is used in afforestation projects[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

Other Uses

Resin is extracted by tapping the trunk. It is obtained from near the centre of the trunk[
171
Title
Economic Botany.
Publication
 
Author
Hill. A. F.
Publisher
The Maple Press
Year
1952
ISBN
-
Description
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some detail about the plants it does cover.
], one properly made borehole can be used for 20 - 30 years[
64
Title
Vegetable Gums and Resins.
Publication
 
Author
Howes. F. N.
Publisher
Faber
Year
 
ISBN
81-88818-17-8
Description
A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
]. The resin has a wide range of uses including wood preservatives, medicinal etc. The hole is made in the spring and the resin extracted in the autumn[
64
Title
Vegetable Gums and Resins.
Publication
 
Author
Howes. F. N.
Publisher
Faber
Year
 
ISBN
81-88818-17-8
Description
A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
]. The yield is about 40 grams per tree[
64
Title
Vegetable Gums and Resins.
Publication
 
Author
Howes. F. N.
Publisher
Faber
Year
 
ISBN
81-88818-17-8
Description
A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
].

The bark contains tannin[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61
Title
A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Publication
 
Author
Usher. G.
Publisher
Constable
Year
1974
ISBN
0094579202
Description
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].

Wood - hard, durable. Used in construction, water pipes, mine props, beams etc[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61
Title
A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Publication
 
Author
Usher. G.
Publisher
Constable
Year
1974
ISBN
0094579202
Description
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. An extremely important timber tree in the Russian Far East, where it provides building logs for traditional log houses, railway sleepers, fences, and gates, as well as timber for construction, ship building (in Japan and Sachalin), and the pulp industry[
2124
Title
A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition)
Publication
 
Author
Farjon A.
Publisher
Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands
Year
2017
ISBN
978 90 04 32449 7
Description
 
]. Its variability also extends to the suitability as a plantation tree for forestry outside its natural range; provenances from Siberia are prone to ‘late’ frosts (which actually means: lack of a proper cold winter that lasts until spring definitively arrives), while those of Japan and even Sakhalin are less likely to be frost damaged. Inter-specific hybrids have been produced in cultivation in Denmark and China, but probably have not been planted far beyond the trial nurseries. Due to the risk of frost damage this species and its varieties are rare in cultivation in more temperate parts of the world[
2124
Title
A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition)
Publication
 
Author
Farjon A.
Publisher
Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands
Year
2017
ISBN
978 90 04 32449 7
Description
 
].
The wood is valued as a fuel[
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in pots in a cold frame. One months cold stratification helps germination[
113
Title
The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
Publication
 
Author
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W.
Publisher
Athens Ga. Varsity Press
Year
1987
ISBN
0942375009
Description
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is best to give the seedlings light shade for the first year[
78
Title
Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
Publication
 
Author
Sheat. W. G.
Publisher
MacMillan and Co
Year
1948
ISBN
-
Description
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots. Although only a few centimetres tall, they can be planted out into their permanent positions in the summer providing you give them an effective weed-excluding mulch and preferably some winter protection for their first year. Otherwise grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in early summer of the following year. The seed remains viable for 3 years[
113
Title
The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
Publication
 
Author
Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W.
Publisher
Athens Ga. Varsity Press
Year
1987
ISBN
0942375009
Description
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
]
If you are growing larger quantities of plants, you can sow the seed in an outdoor seedbed in late winter. Grow on the seedlings in the seedbed for a couple of years until they are ready to go into their permanent positions then plant them out during the winter.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Larix+gmelinii>

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