Anyone have access to seed of Larix lyalii

Plenty of photos of it on the internet (usually showing it in bright yellow fall colours; do a google image search for "Larix lyalii" or "Subalpine Larch"), but seed is very difficult to get. It only produces cones every few years, because of the very harsh environment where it occurs.

Resin

In that linked pic, note the glacier down below where the trees are . . . that says a lot about the climate it needs!

Resin

Try searching Larix lyallii (2 'l's) - comes of copying from the thread title ;-)

Resin

Whereabouts are you?

It has been tried on several occasions in the past in Britain, never with any long-term success. I can't see it succeeding anywhere below about 400-500m altitude in the Cairngorms (where it hasn't been tried yet that I know of).

Resin

High temperatures (in excess of 100 deg F; 40 deg C) do not seem to bother them as long as they have water. We furthermore move them to the shade during hot weather (in excess of about 90 deg; 35 deg C).

Although we planted out the western larch, we're too chicken to do the same with the alpine larch, and they'll probably remain in containers--bonsai possibly.

Probably your best source of seed will be to beg from friends and others visiting the northern Rockies. Tell them to collect the cones at timberline. That will insure you get alpine larch and not western.

They seemed to be very sensitive to transplant, though, and suffered obvious transplant shock. They look to be alive, so I'm hoping that they'll come back stronger than ever next year.

I've planted them at about 7000 feet in the California Sierra.

Shoot

I'm not volunteering! A spectacular drive but an all day trip.

Oh dear . . . that's just about the worst part of Britain to try it!

My prediction is it'll leaf out in January if not earlier (just like Larix gmelinii at RBG Edinburgh, which was in full fresh leaf on 3 January one year . . . needless to say, it got zapped by a later frost)

Resin

Quote:

60528 Larix lyalli — (-30°F, USDA Zones 4-8) .......this cultivar is grafted on L . decidua and is much easier to grow. 2-3' whip $8.95

.....one of the cheaper plants in their listings.

I thought these four larger format photos were especially cool -- and perhaps suggestive of what a broom might look like, since they are mostly close-ups, as one tends to get with dwarf cultivars originating from wb's :

Larix lyallii one
Larix lyallii two
Larix lyallii three
Larix lyallii four

I am growing one Larix lyallii from seed I collected in Idaho in 2002. To avoid the temperature sensitivity problems, I'm growing it on a reverse season schedule. During the winter, I grow it under lights. It spends the rest of the year dormant in the refrigerator.

I've been up there every year since 2002, but there hasn't been much seed. It is my understanding that they only set a good crop every decade or so :(

Please check out the pic of my plant on my website. :)

Meredith

Resin

There might also be problems with encouraging apical dominance with a grafted plant.

Resin