Dahurian larch, the photo of which can be seen in our article, is the most "northern" tree in the world. The plant is able to grow in permafrost conditions. Dahurian larch is especially common in vast areas in the eastern part of Siberia.
On what soils does the plant grow? What are its properties? In what areas of industry is larch wood used? All this later in the article.
Dahurian larch – description
This is a tree that can reach a height of about 35 meters. The plant has a straight trunk and a rounded pyramidal crown. Dahurian larch has widely spread branches. Perennial trees often have multiple vertices.
Young shoots have a pinkish tint. The grayish-brown bark accounts for up to 25% of the trunk volume. Closer to the roots, the plant contains deep cracks.
Dahurian larch has soft needles of a bright green hue. The latter has a soft, pliable structure and forms bundles, each of which can contain from 25 to 40 narrow-linearneedles.
The plant has oval-shaped cones, the length of which reaches 30 mm. Larch seeds ripen at the end of summer. With the onset of the dry days of September, the cones of the plant begin to open en masse.
Habitat
Daurian larch is a northern wood species that is common in the Far East. The plant is extremely resistant to aggressive environmental influences. In mountainous, snow-covered areas, the tree takes on a stunted form with widely spread branches. In the extreme northern part of its habitat, the plant is able to withstand temperatures as low as -60oC.
Dahurian larch likes to grow in the lowlands, where there are peaty, marshy soils. However, the plant is able to develop and breed on rocky mountain slopes. In general, adult perennial trees are extremely hardy and have impressive longevity, living up to 500 years or more. This is facilitated by the presence of a well-developed, split root system, thanks to which the tree is firmly fixed in the soil and easily resists the strongest gusts of heavy wind.
Dahurian larch – properties
Tinctures from Dahurian larch needles have been used for centuries as an expectorant, mild laxative and diuretic. Alcohol extracts based on plant shoots are effective in healing purulent wounds, eliminating abscesses.
Crushed plant barkhas antipyretic properties. You can use it with poor appetite, problems with the functioning of the pancreas, the development of urological infections.
Decoction of Dahurian larch branches is known as an effective expectorant. Use it for peptic ulcer of the gastric mucosa, as well as urethritis.
It has been proven that preparations made on the basis of the needles and bark of the plant are able to resist the growth of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and hemolytic streptococcus.
Features of cultivation
Daurian larch perfectly tolerates moving to a new place of growth. As shoots for transplantation, both annual, young plants and adult, well-rooted trees are suitable. As for growing a plant from seeds, there are some difficulties. In this case, extremely fertile and moist soil is required.
To get Dahurian larch seeds, you need to have ripe cones that have a light brown tint. They should be collected during the fall of the needles. The cones are dried in a well-ventilated area until the scales open. After the seeds fall out, they are collected and laid out in paper bags. In this form, the seeds are kept in the refrigerator until the onset of spring warmth.
Before planting Dahurian larch from seeds, they are soaked in cold water. As soon as the earth warms up well with the spring sun, the plant is planted in fertile soil ondepth up to 5 mm. If the seeds are too deep into the substrate, they will most likely die.
Sprouts of the plant after planting the seeds should be expected for several weeks. Young shoots need plenty of sunlight. Therefore, even with a slight shading of the site, they die quite quickly. Watering the plant must be done regularly, avoiding waterlogging of the soil.
Application
Dahurian larch has a heavy, resilient and hard wood. It is used in the pulp, hydrolysis and paper industries. Often, wood is used in car building, the production of sliced and peeled veneer. Due to its high strength, Dahurian larch looks like an ideal material for the production of piles, mine poles, communication poles, railway sleepers.
