Japanese larch Pinaceae Larix kaempferi (Lam.) Carrière symbol: LAKA2 Leaf: Deciduous, appearing singly on new growth and in whorls on older growth, 1 to 1 1/4 inches long, green to glaucous blue-green in color. Flower: Species is monoecious; males light yellow, small and round; females yellow to red, with long, curved scales. Fruit: Cones are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, almost round, cone scales strongly reflexed, flower-like in appearance, borne upright on the twig, maturing fall to early winter. Twig: Reddish brown to glaucous purple, bearing rounded buds. Spur shoots present on older growth. Bark: On young trees the bark is scaly and gray, later becoming furrowed with a reddish brown inner bark. Form: Well formed, with a straight stem and pyramidal crown. Lateral branches commonly droop. Looks like: Dunkeld larch - European larch - tamarack - western larch Additional Range Information: Larix kaempferi is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. See states reporting Japanese larch. More: Fall Color External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson