Larix gmelinii Dahurian Larch

An uncommonly cultivated medium sized larch named in honor of German naturalist, botanist and geographer Johann Georg Gmelin. Plants are closely allied to the Siberian larch, L. siberica, and share the classic pyramidal crown and horizontal branch structure often associated with the genus. The reddish-brown bark is a nice foil for the pale green foliage with turns to bright orange-yellow in fall. A prolific quantity of 1 maroon cones decorate the branches at all times as it is common for them to remain on the tree for multiple years. Plants show good performance in both boggy and sharply drained sites with a spectrum of fertility. Uniquely, the native range of this species is among the northernmost trees found in the world and as such it also demonstrates some of the greatest tolerance to cold temperatures.