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Larix kaempferi

Japanese Larch

Family PinaceaeGenus Larix

Rose-pink young cones scattered along needle-covered shoots
Fruit御粥CC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
TreePlant Finder
Habit
treePlants of the World Online
Height
70-90 ft21-27 mPlant Finder
Spread
25-40 ft8-12 mPlant Finder
Flower
RedPLANTS Database
Blooms
Non-floweringPlant Finder
Native range
JapanPlant Finder
Hardiness zones
4-7Plant Finder
Note
Deno's counts include the empty seed coats, so filled seed does considerably better.Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed.

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sunPlant Finder
Soil
Rich, moist, acidic, well-drainedPlant Finder
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
MediumPlant Finder

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno.

Worth knowing

  • Named for Engelbert Kaempfer. An important plantation tree in Japan; in 2009 sudden oak death was found in Japanese larch in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Wikipedia: Larix kaempferi

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 56 days.

20% germination in 42–56 days.

Cold beats warm here, and dry storage changed nothing either way.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, LarixPublic domain
Show the original text
Larix (Plnaceae). L. kaempferi germ. 70(14% in 2-10 w) and 40(20% in 6-8 w) for either fresh seed or seed IDS 6 m at 70 or 40. Germination would have been much higher if the empty seed coats were not counted.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Larix. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 70 days to germinate.

14% germination in 14–70 days.

Deno counted empty coats as seed, so the figure on filled seed is much higher.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, LarixPublic domain
Show the original text
Larix (Plnaceae). L. kaempferi germ. 70(14% in 2-10 w) and 40(20% in 6-8 w) for either fresh seed or seed IDS 6 m at 70 or 40. Germination would have been much higher if the empty seed coats were not counted.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Larix. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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