Pseudolarix

( soo - doh - LAR - icks )

At-A-Glance Information

This species of deciduous trees needs full sun and regular water, and is native to China. It is the only extant (living) species in its genus. Commonly called Golden Larch, these trees reach 40-70 feet tall and nearly as broad at the base with a pyramidal habit. Foliage is feathery-looking, and young needles are light green, maturing to blue-green and turn golden yellow briefly before dropping in fall. Bare branches in wintertime are decorated only with cones until foliage returns in spring. Golden Larch trees perform well in zones 2-7 and 14-17 (to find your zone, click here: Zone Map). 

Caring for and pruning pseudolarix Trees

The first step in caring for a Golden Larch tree is to plant it in a place in the landscape that receives full sun exposure. They can tolerate light shade, but will grow more quickly, have denser foliage, and be healthier overall in full sun. They prefer soil to be well-draining and acidic, with a sandy or loamy texture. They do not like to have their feet wet, so ensure that local soils are well-draining or amended to be so before installing. Allow ample room for the mature size of these large trees, which can be up to 30-50 feet tall and between 20 and 30 feet wide. Apply a thick layer of mulch around plantings to increase soil moisture retention, suppress weed growth, and regulate soil temperatures. Water newly planted trees regularly during their first few years in the ground, Mature trees are relatively drought-tolerant, but do perform and grow best when provided with regular waterings. Water deeply during the drier months of the year.

Minimal pruning is required for these trees, and the best time to prune them is in late wintertime or early spring. At this time, remove dead, damaged, diseased, or crossing branches. Avoid excessive prunings, as this can damage the tree. These trees naturally have a handsome shape, and do not need to be shaped. Apply a dressing of organic compost to the planting area each year in springtime. This should be sufficient to provide enough nutrients for the growing season, however if trees seem to be struggling or if growth is stunted (or discolored), trees may benefit from a feeding with a balanced (10-10-10), slow-release fertilizer applied in springtime.

Propagation

Pseudolarix can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Golden Larch tree, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Pseudolarix by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In late summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this mature plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch softwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots. 
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Pseudolarix by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows. 
  2. Harvest your seeds. They are contained inside of the female cones produced by trees in fall, which begin to fall from trees when they have matured. Each cone contains between 20 and 25 seeds each.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
These trees produce cones that contain the seeds for the next generation of trees.
Pseudolarix seeds.

Problems and Pests

Pseudolarix trees are generally considered to be quite resilient, able to repel most pests and diseases, but they can suffer from time to time with the following, especially if they are not properly cared for:
  • Scale Insects
  • Aphids
  • Spider Mites
  • Needle Cast Fungal Diseases
  • Deer 
  • Rabbits
For more information on these pests and diseases, see the following pages:
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Gallery

Golden Larch gets its common name from its brilliant yellow fall foliage.
Pseudolarix foliage.
Female cones will turn brown when mature.

Videos

All about these awesome landscape trees.
How to identify Golden Larch.

Resources

How to Grow and Care for Pseudolarix
Care Guide for Larch and Golden Larch Bonsai Trees
Wikipedia: Pseudolarix
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 537, Pseudolarix amabilis (Golden Larch)
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