Habitat

• native to Eastern China
• Zone 5

Habit and Form

• deciduous conifer
• 30' to 50' tall by 20' to 40' wide
• very open conical shape, with wide spreading horizontal branches
• medium texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• soft, light green needles with 2 gray stomatal bands on underside
• 1.5" to 2.5" long
• pointed needle tip
• found in clusters on spur-like branchlets or singly on new shoots
• buds are brown, pointed and ovoid in shape with black hairs surrounding it
• two types on new stems: spur-like branchlets that look like doughnuts stacked on top of each other and smooth, brown long shoots

Autumn Foliage

• needles turn gold
• does not hold color for very long

Flowers

• monoecious
• no ornamental value

Fruit

• solitary cones, purple when immature turning to a golden brown
• 2" to 3" long
• cones are borne in upper third on tree
• attractive
• cones do not remain on tree after maturity

Bark

• grayish brown outer bark
• lightly ridged

Culture

• easily transplanted when dormant
• prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil
• full sun
• resistant to air pollutants
• intolerant of wind

Landscape Uses

• specimen
• for attractive spring and autumn foliage color
• lawn tree for open areas

Liabilities

• not tolerant of wind
• hard to locate to purchase

ID Features

• concentric ringed spur-like branchlets with black hairs at tip
• needles longer than true larch
• tree shorter than true larch
• 2 white stomatal lines on underside of needles
• cones fall off tree soon after maturity

Propagation

• by seeds

Cultivars/Varieties

Several dwarf forms are occasionally seen, but they are only of interest to collectors. Among them are: 'Annesleyana', 'Dawsonii' and 'Nana'.