Larix decidua

European larch is a fast growing, large tree native to Europe, forming extensive high altitude forests from the Alps to the Caucasus Mountains. It has also been introduced to other parts of northern Europe where it is now wild. It has naturalized in parts of the US and Canada as well.

• Shoots are dimorphic (2 types), with growth divided into long shoots (typically 10–50 cm long) and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud.
• Leaves are needle-like, in dense bunches of 30–40 leaves, light green, up to 4 cm long, turning yellow in autumn and falling off, leaving shoots bare until the next spring.
• Males are yellow, drooping, 5–10 mm long; immature females are red, upright, in separate clusters, developing into erect, ovoid-conic, about 4 cm long cones with 10–90 slightly outcurved seed scales. They turn green, then brown, opening to release seeds when mature 4–6 months after pollination.
• The old cones commonly remain on the tree for many years, turning dull grey-black.