Larch

Larix spp.

• Height: up to 40 m
• Trunk: straight trunk, reddish to grey-brown; with age, thick, deeply fissured, and deeply furrowed scaly bark
• Crown: initially narrow conical, later more open, branches horizontal to slightly ascending
• Leaves: blunt, soft needles 1–3 cm long, thin, keeled, in clusters of 15–50 on short shoots, light green when emerging, later darker, with two rows of stomata on the underside
• Flowers: rounded, yellow male flowers; purple, upright female flowers in the upper crown
• Fruits/Seeds: small, approx. 2–4 cm long, egg-shaped cones with winged seeds, remain on the tree for a long time
• Other: deciduous, sheds needles in the fall

^{Photos: Wolfgang Schödel (1), BUND Naturschutz in Bayern (2,3,4)}