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Larix potaninii

Common name:	Larch	Family:	Pinaceae
Author:	Batalin.	Botanical references:	11, 109, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - S.W. China to E. Tibet.
Habitat:	Grows sparingly in moist forests at low elevations, especially by streams. It forms pure stands at higher elevations, especially on moist soils, growing best above 2500m and up to the tree line[109].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Pine family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 35m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Tannin Wood.

The bark contains tannin[229].
Wood - strong, heavy, durable[229]. A valuable timber tree in China where it is used for general construction, pit props, railway sleepers and making furniture[46, 266].

Cultivation details

Prefers an open airy position in a light or gravelly well-drained soil[200]. Plants are intolerant of badly drained soils, but they tolerate acid and infertile soils[200]. Succeeds on rocky hill or mountain sides and slopes[200]. A north or east aspect is more suitable than west or south[1].
This species is very cold-hardy when fully dormant, but the trees can be excited into premature growth in Britain by mild spells during the winter and they are then very subject to damage by late frosts and cold winds[1]. Plants generally do not do well in Britain, growing best in the south-west of the country[1, 200].
The species is cultivated for timber use in Asia and is also used for afforestation[266].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
Open ground plants, 1 year x 1 year are the best for planting out, do not use container grown plants with spiralled roots[200]. Plants transplant well, even when coming into growth in the spring[200].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in pots in a cold frame. One months cold stratification helps germination[113]. It is best to give the seedlings light shade for the first year[78]. 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[113]
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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Pinaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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