Virginia Tech Dendrology

Japanese larch Pinaceae Larix kaempferi (Lam.) Carrière Listen to the Latin Link to this fact sheet 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
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Larix kaempferi is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2019 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information