Larix kaempferi, the Japanese larch or karamatsu (唐松 or 落葉松) in Japanese, is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū.

It is a medium-sized to large deciduous coniferous tree reaching 20–40 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The crown is broad conic; both the main branches and the side branches are level, the side branches only rarely drooping. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots (typically 10–50cm long) and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1–2mm long with only a single bud. The leaves are needle-like, light glaucous green, 2–5cm long; they turn bright yellow to orange before they fall in the autumn, leaving the pinkish-brown shoots bare until the next spring.

The cones are erect, ovoid-conic and 2–3.5cm long, with 30–50 reflexed seed scales; they are green when immature, turning brown and opening to release the seeds when mature, 4–6 months after pollination. The old cones commonly remain on the tree for many years, turning dull grey-black.

It grows at altitudes up to 2,900 m on well-drained soils, avoiding waterlogged ground.[citation needed]

The scientific name honours Engelbert Kaempfer. It is also sometimes known by the synonym Larix leptolepis.

Uses

Japanese larch is an important tree in forestry plantations, being grown throughout central and northern Japan (north to Hokkaidō), and also widely in northern Europe, particularly Ireland and Britain. The wood is tough and durable, and is used for general construction work. Small larch poles are commonly used for fencing.

Cultivation

Larix kaempferi is used for ornamental purposes in parks and gardens. It is also widely used as material for bonsai. The dwarf cultivars 'Blue Dwarf', growing to 1.5m (4.9ft) tall and broad, and 'Nana', growing to 1m (3.3ft) tall and broad, have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Diseases

In late 2009 Phytophthora ramorum or sudden oak death disease was first found in Japanese larch trees, in the English counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. The disease was found in Counties Waterford and Tipperary in Ireland the following year.

Gallery

  • Old cone and young needles growing out of a branch
  • Bark on the tree's trunk
  • cones and seeds - museum specimen
  • Needles
  • Developing seed cones
  • Male cones
  • Young female cone
  • Old seed cones

External links