Larix kaempferi (Japanese Larch)
Price £ each (ex VAT) |
||||
| Height | Age | 25+ | 100+ | 500+ |
| 30-40cm | 1u1 | 0.77 | 0.44 | 0.39 |
Delivery
Bareroot from November to April
Prices
The prices above are offered as a guide and may be subject to fluctuation dependant upon the time of season and supply. We recommend that contact is made with the office for larger orders, a quotation and to check availability Alternatively please contact us to enquire about opening a wholesale account.
As its name suggests, the Japanese Larch is native to Japan and began to be planted extensively in Britain in the late nineteenth century. It has a denser crown than the European or Hybrid Larch, and consequently a heavier leaf fall, which can limit species growing beneath it, and it is very tough and disease resistant. It has attractive reddish-brown bark, good autumn colour and conspicuous red twigs in winter.
Site and soil
Although best grown in moist, well-drained soil, the Japanese Larch will do well in even poor infertile soils. Wind tolerant, it does well at high elevations.
Height and spread
After 10 years: 10m x 3m
After 20 years: 16m x 4m
Leaf and bark
The leaves are needle-like, grey-green or bluish-green, borne in clusters on the stems. The bark is reddish-brown, fissured and scaly. The shoots in winter are red or purplish-red, creating a striking effect against the winter sky.
Flower, seed and fruit
The male flowers are yellow, the females red and cream. They are followed by cones which are rounder than the European Larch, about 2.5cm across, with the bracts turned back rather like petals.
Uses
Commercial forestry, plantations, woodland, shelterbelts. Often used as a firebreak because the wood is very slow to burn. Nurse tree for slower growing species. The timber is used in construction, fence posts and garden furniture. The bark has been used for tanning and turpentine is extracted from the resin.
Wildlife
Nesting sites for several bird species including Sparrowhawks. The Crossbill, Siskin and Tree Creeper are among the birds attracted to the Japanese Larch.
Pruning
The Japanese Larch is not normally pruned.
