The larch is a coniferous tree, which is easily recognizable by its needles. But it also steps out of line, for example with the fall of needles. Will this tree live as old as the rest of the tree family?
How old can a larch tree get?
Answer: A larch tree can live to be 200 to 400 years old, and some specimens can even live up to 600 or more years. However, lifespan may vary depending on location and management practices.
A tree for several generations
The larch is usually only a few years old when it moves from a tree nursery to its permanent destination. It is between 30 and 120 cm long and its trunk is thinner than the human arm. But that will change quickly.
Anyone who brings this tree into their own garden is planning for the long term. It can accompany its owner for life and subsequent generations as well. Everyone can enjoy the larch.
The maximum possible age
The larch expects an old age that is unattainable for us humans:
- most larches can live 200 to 400 years
- some trees can live up to 600 years
There are even said to be copies that have exceeded 1000. But they are certainly an exception and hidden somewhere in the deepest forest.
No larch tree will reach such a biblical age in a private garden. Over the centuries the land will change many owners, it would be a miracle if the larch was allowed to remain untouched.
Different types of larch trees
The European larch is the native species, but there are other species that are cultivated here. For example, there are the Japanese larch and the Siberian larch. All species reach old age, the differences are so small that they are not significant.
Changes in appearance
When it is young, the larch only shows us its green needles. These remain on the tree from spring to autumn before falling off and turning yellow. The crown is conical and its trunk is smooth and gray. It will take 15 to 40 years before flowering is possible.
A very old larch tree has a brown trunk covered in thick bark and a sprawling crown. The tree is then higher than 50 m and has a trunk diameter of approx. 2 m.
Shorter lifetime for assets
In this country, almost every piece of forest is managed with the aim of getting as much profit as possible from it. Larch trees are popular for their wood because it is one of the hardest of the conifers. It is ideal as a load-bearing timber, also for outdoor areas.
Larch trees are therefore “harvested” after just 120 to 140 years of life.
