Pseudolarix amabilis

Golden larch is a member of the pine or Pinaceae family and is indigenous to small eastern parts of China. It is a deciduous tree reaching up to 40 m tall. It grows well in the hot and humid climate of the southeastern United States and in the Mediterranean region.

It is closer to Abies or Cedrus than it is to the Larix genus, so is referred to as a false-larch to distinguish this.

• Shoots are dimorphic, with long shoot and short shoots, like larch (Larix).
• Leaves are bright green, 3–6 cm long and 2–3 mm across. They are arranged in dense whorls on the short shoots (like larch) and singly, spirally arranged on long shoots.
• Being a deciduous tree, it turns a golden yellow in the fall before it loses its needles to remain bare for the winter.
• Cones are distinctive, 4–7 cm long and 4–6 cm across, resembling a small artichoke. They disintegrate (as fragmenting cones) to release seeds, unlike most conifers.