natural herbs
Dahurian Larch
Larix gmelinii

Herb: Dahurian Larch

Latin name: Larix gmelinii

Synonyms: Larix dahurica

Family: Pinaceae (Pine Family)

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Deciduous
Tree

Height:

30 m
(98 feet)

Flowering:

May to
June

Habitat of Dahurian Larch:

Forms dense forests at high altitudes. Hills, mountains, rocky slopes, peatlands, swamps, lowland sub-arctic plains, river basins and valleys 300 - 2800 metres.

Other uses of the herb:

Resin is extracted by tapping the trunk. It is obtained from near the centre of the trunk, one properly made borehole can be used for 20 - 30 years. 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. The yield is about 40 grams per tree. The bark contains tannin. Wood - hard, durable. Used in construction, water pipes, mine props, beams etc.

Propagation of Dahurian Larch:

Seed - sow late winter in pots in a cold frame. One months cold stratification helps germination. It is best to give the seedlings light shade for the first year. 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 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.

Cultivation of the herb: