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Harmless🍽️ Edible💊 Medicinal

🌲 European Larch

Larix decidua · Pinaceae

🏔️ Mountains
🧠 To remember it“The only conifer that gets naked in winter is the larch” — losing its needles in autumn is unique among conifers in our mountains.
European Larch — Larix decidua

🔍 Identify it without mistakes

Large conifer, up to 40 m tall, unique among European mountain resinous trees for losing its needles in winter (deciduous), displaying a magnificent golden yellow in autumn before shedding. Soft, fine needles grouped in tufts on short shoots. Small, erect, ovoid cones that stay on the tree for several years after maturity.

  1. only mountain conifer to lose its needles in winter
  2. soft needles grouped in tufts on short shoots
  3. characteristic golden yellow in autumn before shedding
  4. small ovoid cones persisting on the tree
Size20-40 m
FloweringApril-May
Habitatsubalpine and mountain zones, 1000-2400 m, mainly in the Alps, often in pure stands forming vast larch forests

⚠️ Not to be confused with

No known dangerous confusionaucun

To tell them apart: the larch is the only European mountain conifer to lose its needles in winter; its soft needles grouped in tufts on short shoots, never sharp nor arranged in two flat rows, cannot be confused with those of the yew, the only truly toxic European conifer

🍽️ Eating it

Partsyoung spring needles, resinous bud
SeasonMay-June (tender young needles)
Tasteresinous, lemony, slightly tangy for young needles

Preparation : young shoots infused as a vitamin-rich tea (high in vitamin C), lemony taste

💊 Healing with it

the resin (Venetian turpentine) traditionally used externally for respiratory conditions (inhalation) and skin issues

Level of evidence : traditional use — Traditional Alpine ethnobotanical literature

⚠️ external use only for pure resin, never ingest turpentine

🪓 Other bushcraft uses

  • rot-resistant wood, traditionally used for shingle roofing and Alpine chalets
  • resin (Venetian turpentine) used in varnish and old pharmacopeia
Sources (2)

No entry replaces a certain identification in the field, or medical advice. When in doubt: don't eat it. If ingestion is suspected: poison control or 112/911.