Perhaps someone thinks that larch does not bloom. In fact, its flowering is very beautiful and unusual. True, it is not so easy to notice it, because the flowers-cones blooming on it are very miniature.
Larch is a beautiful, tall and slender tree belonging to the pine family. Unlike most conifers, it does not have thorny, but soft, pleasant to the touch needles that larch sheds every fall. In spring, bright green young needles, arranged in bunches of 20-40 pieces, reappear on the tree.
Larch blossom
Larch blooms in April or May (it depends on the climatic conditions of the region) simultaneously with the appearance of needles. Its "flowers" are charming miniature bumps. Since larch is a monoecious plant, male and female flowers are evenly distributed on its branches. Male cones have an oval-spherical shape and form rounded yellowish spikelets. Women's cones are incredibly beautiful, somewhat similar to small roses, cones of red, pink or green colors. Florists sometimes use them to create so-called "eternal" bouquets.
Cones ripen at the very end of summer or early autumn, at which time they acquire their traditional brown color. They have an ovoid shape, the length reaches 3.5-4 cm. In September - October, seeds fall out of them, while the cones can hang on the trees for more than one year.
Larch is a fast growing and durable tree. Sometimes you come across specimens that live for almost 900 years. There are no less than 20 varieties of larch, which either form entire larch forests or grow among other conifers.
Healing and decorative properties of larch
Larch has so many useful properties that it can replace an entire pharmacy. It contains essential oil, ascorbic acid and many other healing substances. The so-called "Venetian" turpentine is obtained from larch resin, which is used to treat respiratory diseases and urolithiasis. Larch bark is used for hernia and poisoning, and fresh needles are an excellent remedy for scurvy and vitamin deficiency.
The decorative beauty of larch is widely used in landscape design. Larch alleys look great. Mixed groups of different types of larch are especially good. The bright and rich color range of its needles includes all possible shades of green: from light green to gray-gray.
