Golden Larch

Native to the mountain valleys of southeastern China, Pseudolarix amabilis, or the Golden Larch, is a majestic, slow-growing deciduous conifer with a broad, conical habit and wide-spreading horizontal branches. Despite its name, it is not a true larch, though it shares the rare trait of shedding its needles. Its soft, flattened, light green leaves, up to 2.5”/6cm long, are arranged in beautiful star-like whorls on short spurs. In Autumn, the foliage transforms into a spectacular, brilliant golden-yellow before falling. The tree features attractive reddish-brown, fissured bark and produces distinctive, artichoke-like cones that sit upright on the branches and disintegrate upon ripening. It is a choice specimen tree for larger gardens, offering a unique architectural form and arguably one of the finest Autumn colour of any conifer.

Site: Sheltered; sensitive to urban pollution
Soil: Deep, fertile, and acidic to neutral; must be moist but well-drained. Not suitable for chalk/limestone
Position: Full sun
Season of interest: Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height:  30-50’ (9-15m) Spread: 20-40’ (6-12m)

Image 1 & 2 by Plant Image Library, Image 3 by Wendy Cutler. All images cropped & licensed under CC BY 2.0