Hello all from SW France! It was my 60th birthday on Saturday and, being the festival of St Katherine too, I followed French tradition and bought a tree, a Larix Griffithii! I am also going to do what the locals say and wait until early on St Valentine's Day/14th February to plant it! Now I had gone to the fair where I bought it from with the firm intention of buying a fruit tree but I saw this lovely conifer and succombed! My wonderful French neighbopurs had gone in their van so I was able to get this 5 foot tall beauty back home. Now today I have done my reserch on the Internet and find that its native home is Nepal which is just weird as my younger daughter works out there! Anyway, has anyone got any advice about what kind of place my lovely tree should be planted ie shade/sun etc? The nursery man said he thought as it grew larger, it would turn blue/green, is this right? Also on the Internet it said that it would have cones, is this right too? How tall do you think it will grow? Also is it one of these that you have to plant it a long long way from the house as the roots might interfere with the walls? Well I know I am asking lots, but I would be grateful for any advice you can give me for my 'dancing lady' tree. I call it that as it reminds me of an Eastern lady whirling round in full skirts!
Full sun, with room to develop. Plant now. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=1433&highlight=larix
It grows naturally at high altitudes in the Himalaya (2,400-4,000m), so it is adapted to a very cold climate - unless you are fairly high in the Pyrénées, it might not grow very well with you. What altitude are you at?
I think the ground is too frozen to plant right now. Although it is SW France, the winters are really cold! In February all will be waking up and spring will be starting up!
Yes you are right it is really hot in summer! However, it is the area where the Cognac grapes are grown and the rain in the winter is soaked up in a great bed of rock under the soil and in the long hot summer, the rock gives back the rain to the soil. Hopefully this will be good for my 'dancing lady' tree!
Hi Michael! no we are not that high maybe 300 feet but so far the tree is 5 feet and looks super! I am just debating whether to plant now or later on in the early spring! Would you put anything other than soil around the roots?
I'd plant now. If the ground is still frozen (must admit, I'd be very surprised if it was) from the recent cold snap, wait until it thaws, that shouldn't be long judging by the weather charts (warm Atlantic air pushing in to western Europe right now). Here (northern England, 50m alt.) the ground never froze more than about 3mm deep, not enough to stop planting No don't add anything to the soil, just plant 'as is'.
Hi! where in the North are you Michael? I am originally a Lancashire lass but an Essex girl by adoption and French by following a dream! The frost is only there in the morning and evening in France and then it thaws out during the day! I could plant it in the day I think!
