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Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles
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'Larix kaempferi' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
A tree 80 to 100 ft high, with a trunk 3 to 4 ft thick, and (in the open) a wide-spreading head of branches; bark scaling, showing a pale grey-brown surface beneath; young shoots glabrous to downy, rich reddish brown the first winter. Leaves 11⁄4 to 15⁄8 in. long, 1⁄16 to 1⁄12 in. wide, rather glaucous, flat above, ridged beneath, and with two bands of stomatic lines there. Cones somewhat globose, and broader in proportion to their length than those of any other larch, being about 1 in. wide and long; also very distinct in the thin, rounded scales being markedly curved back when ripe.
Native of Japan; introduced by John Gould Veitch in 1861. It is very distinct from the common larch in the reddish-brown colouring of the ripened shoots, in the broader rather glaucous or grey-green leaves, and the broader cones with spreading scales.
It is now widely planted in Britain as a forest tree, especially in the western parts of the country. It is more susceptible to drought than the common larch but more tolerant of shallow, acid soils and more resistant to canker. It does not thrive on chalky soils.
Seeds of the Japanese larch were brought from Japan by J. G. Veitch in 1861, and a tree at Kew, pl. 1868, probably derives from these. It measures 63 × 41⁄4 ft (1971). Apart from this tree and a grafted tree in Inverary planted in 1876 (90 × 81⁄4 ft in 1969), the oldest trees of known planting date were raised from an introduction of seeds to Scotland in 1883. The dimensions of those that remain from this batch are: Dunkeld, Perths., 102 × 93⁄4 ft; Blair Atholl, Perths., 121 × 9 ft; Munches, Kircudb., 88 × 91⁄4 ft; Kirkennan, Kirkcudb., 79 × 73⁄4 ft (all measurements 1970). Other old trees in Scotland are: Glamis Castle, Angus, pl. 1894, 108 × 73⁄4 ft and 105 × 73⁄4 ft (1970); Blairquhan, Ayrs., pl. 1900, 105 × 61⁄2 ft (1970); Langholm, Dumfr., pl. 1900, 106 × 63⁄4 ft (1969); Drumlanrig, Dumfr., pl. 1916, 93 × 81⁄4 ft (1957); Glen House, Peebl., pl. 1906, 90 × 83⁄4 ft (1966); Brahan Castle, Ross and Cromarty, pl. 1901, 104 × 61⁄4 ft (1970).
Outside Scotland few large trees have been recorded. There is one at Fonthill Abbey, Wilts, pl. 1906, 120 × 41⁄2 ft (1965), and another at Stourhead, Wilts, 102 × 73⁄4 ft (1970).
specimens: Drumlanrig, Dumfr., pl. 1906, 92 × 81⁄2 ft and 80 × 91⁄2 ft (1984); Rammerscales, Dumfr., 80 × 71⁄4 ft (1984); Langholm, Dumfr., the tree measured 1969 has been felled; Castle Milk, Dumfr., 72 × 71⁄2 ft (1984); Munches, Kirkcud., 1885 seed, 92 × 73⁄4 ft and 98 × 73⁄4 ft (1985); Kirkennan, Kirkcud., 79 × 71⁄4 ft (1970); Glen House, Peebl., pl. 1906, 102 × 93⁄4 ft (1982); Inveraray Castle, Argyll, Lime Kilns, 88 × 81⁄4 ft and 88 × 83⁄4 ft (1982); Dunkeld, Perth, 108 × 101⁄2 ft and 102 × 91⁄4 ft (1983); Blair Atholl, Perths., in Diana’s Grove, 130 × 91⁄2 ft (1983); Glamis Castle, Angus, pl. 1894, 108 × 73⁄4 ft and 105 × 73⁄4 ft (1970); Blairquhan, Ayrs., pl. 1900, 105 × 61⁄2 ft (1970); Brahan House, E. Ross, pl. 1901, 85 × 71⁄4 ft (1982); Ardross Castle, W. Ross, pl. 1900, 92 × 71⁄2 ft (1980).
The tree at Stourhead, Wiltshire, mentioned in the last paragraph, is probably L. × eurolepis.