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Pinaceae
Larix decidua
Specimen Size: 62.5ft tall, 9.5in in diameter.
Location: On the path next to Garfield Place, just behind the bus shelter and across the street from Anderson Hall. The two specimens here are tucked into surrounding foliage.
Historical Background: This species is often planted as an ornamental tree in Europe and has important roots in European folklore. It was believed to ward off evil spirits and curses. Infant children would wear collars of its bark for protection against such dangers. The wood is tough and durable, but also flexible when cut into thin strips, making this species an ideal material for yacht building. The wood used for yachts must be from older trees that had their side branches pruned when young to prevent knots from forming.
Non-Native
Native Range: Alps and Caucasian Mountains
Identifying Features: Larches, also called tamaracks, are deciduous conifers, primarily from montane regions and the far-north, able to grow as large as their evergreen peers but offering cheery yellow fall color and an April flush of tender new needles. Needles grow in spurs along the branch in whorls of 20-30. European larch is grown in our area as an ornamental, being more easily cultivated than our two Washington native species. It is the only deciduous European conifer.
Identifying Features In Depth:
Form: Open and conic crown up to a height of about 145’ with pendulous foliage. Lower branches tend to be more drooping.
Leaves: Needles in a dark blue green color when mature growing in whorls of 20-30 out of distinctive spurs along the branch. Leaves are not banded beneath. They grow to about 1 ¼ in and when just appearing are a light green. In autumn they turn a bright yellow to orange.
Bark: Ridged scaly and fissured later in life, beginning as a smooth dark gray.
Reproductive Bodies: Its cones are soft, 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) long, green flushed with red when immature, brown and opening when mature to release seeds, and turn black and remain on the tree for many years past maturity.
Larix decidua native range in central Europe, compiled by Euforgen.
Below is the description found for this species on the original Brockman Memorial Tree Tour:
Historical Tree Tour Information: On the path next to Garfield Place, across the street from Anderson Hall, is a European Larch. Larches, also called tamaracks, are deciduous conifers, primarily montane and far-northern denizens, able to grow as large as their evergreen peers, with wood as strong and useful, but offering cheery yellow fall color and an April flush of tender new needles beautiful enough to rank with the prettiest sights in treedom. European larch is grown in our area as an ornamental, being more easily cultivated than our two Washington native species, albeit no better-looking. Its cones are soft, 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) long, green flushed with red when immature, brown and opening when mature to release seeds, and turn black and remain on the tree for many years past maturity.
The wood of European larch is tough and durable, but also flexible when cut into thin strips, making this species an ideal material for yacht building. The wood used for yachts must be from older trees that had their side branches pruned when young to prevent knots from forming. European larch is cold tolerant, surviving in temperatures as low as -58° F (-50° C), allowing it to survive at high altitudes up to 7,900 feet (2,400 meters).
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