Larch Love

The larches that have looked dead for the past six months have not disappointed us. They have greened up! Oh happy day! Our mountains are once again adorned with that incredible praying mantis green.

The fact that larches (Larix occidentalis) drop their needles defines so much of their existence. Unlike most conifers that keep their needles year round enabling them to photosynthesize whenever the temperatures rise above freezing, larches can only grow half of the year. They make up for this fact by situating themselves in full sun on mostly east and north-facing slopes where it's cooler and th...