Larch

Larch, common name for a small genus of trees, restricted to the colder parts of the Northern hemisphere. Larches belong to the pine family and are unusual among the conifers in that they are deciduous: their soft, needle-shaped leaves, borne in dense clusters, drop in the autumn, and new leaves do not appear until the following spring. Of the nine species of larch in the world, two occur naturally in Europe. The most widespread is the European larch, which is an important timber tree and is planted extensively as a crop. The Japanese larch is native to Japan but is widely planted in northern Europe. A third major timber species is the hybrid or Dunkeld larch, a hybrid between the European and Japanese larches and named after the Scottish town where it first appeared. Other species, such as the American larch or tamarack, are also planted on a small scale or as specimen trees in parks.

Scientific classification: Larches make up the genus Larix in the family Pinaceae. The European larch is classified as Larix decidua, the Japanese larch as Larix kaempferi, the hybrid or Dunkeld larch as Larix x marschlinsii, and the American larch as Larix laricina.