Home / Parcopedia / Larch
caption

Larch

La conifera che perde gli aghi

IUCN Conservation status:

LC - Least Concern

LC - Least Concern

info
CategoriesFlora
tag Flora Conifera

Where can you find me?

Parco naturale Gran Bosco di Salbertrand

Parco naturale Orsiera Rocciavrè

Parco naturale Val Troncea

ZSC Bardonecchia Val Fredda

ZSC Champlas Colle del Sestriere

ZSC Cima Fournier e Lago Nero

ZSC Col Basset

ZSC Gran Bosco di Salbertrand

ZSC Les Arnauds Punta Quattro Sorelle

ZSC Pendici del Monte Chaberton

ZSC Rocciamelone

ZSC Valle della Ripa

ZSC Valle Thuras

ZSC – ZPS Orsiera Rocciavrè

ZSC – ZPS Val Troncea

Classification:

Nome comune: Larice
Regno: Plantae
Classe: Pinopsida
Ordine: Pinales
Famiglia: Pinaceae
Genere: Larix
Specie: Larix decidua

Larch woods (Larix decidua) are widespread especially in Val Chisone and Val Susa, while in Val Sangone you can find some isolated specimens.
Compared to other mountain conifers with robust branches, dense and persistent foliage, the Larch, with its thin and long branches, its soft and deciduous needles, would seem unsuitable for growing in the severe Alpine climate. In reality it is a very rustic plant , capable of withstanding harsh climatic conditions and developing on poor and poorly developed soils without fearing the most intense sunlight.
Contrary to all the conifers of our climates, the Larch loses its leaves in autumn.
This allows it to reduce the loss of water through leaf transpiration, which could hardly be compensated by that present in the soil because it is frozen.

These characteristics make it a pioneer plant, capable of paving the way for more demanding forest formations.
The Lariceto generally develops around 2000 meters above sea level; the notable diffusion of larch groves even at lower altitudes depends above all on the work of man.
Sometimes the descents of the Larice up to 1000 meters above sea level can originate from natural causes: this is what happens in the side valleys of Val Susa, narrow and with exposure to the North, where the microclimate is particularly cold.

At lower altitudes, the larch forest can be interspersed with red firs (Picea abies) and sometimes silver firs (Abies alba). In this case it is possible to assume an evolutionary tendency towards the Pecceta or the Abetina.

You might also be interested in...