Family: Pinaceae, Pine view all from this family

Description Very large deciduous tree with narrow, conical crown of horizontal branches.
Height: 80-150' (24-46 m).
Diameter: 1 1/2-3' (0.5-0.9 m), sometimes larger.
Needles: deciduous; 1-1 1/2" (2.5-4 cm) long, 1/32" (1 mm) wide. Crowded in cluster on spur twigs; also alternate and scattered on leader twigs; 3-angled, stiff, short-pointed. Light green, turning yellow in autumn before falling.
Bark: reddish-brown, scaly, becoming deeply furrowed into flat ridges with many overlapping plates.
Twigs: 2 kinds: long leaders (orange-brown and hairy when young), and many short spurs.
Cones: 1-1 1/2" (2.5-4 cm) long; elliptical, brown, upright on short stalks; many rounded, hairy cone-scales shorter than long-pointed bracts; paired, pale brown, long-winged seeds.

Habitat Mountain slopes and valleys on porous, gravelly, sandy, and loamy soils; with other conifers.

Range SE. British Columbia south to NW. Montana and N. Oregon; at 2000-5500' (610-1676 m) in north; to 7000' (2134 m) in south.

Discussion Western Larch often follows or survives fires, later being replaced by other conifers. The natural sugar, or galactan, in the gum and wood resembles a slightly bitter honey and can be made into medicine and baking powder. Grouse eat the buds and leaves. The wood is used for construction, paneling, flooring, utility poles, plywood, and pulpwood.