Larix decidua Krejča Mutation - European Larch

The Larix decidua 'Krejča Mutation' is a rare and unique dwarf variety of European larch. With its original appearance, it develops an irregular crown with highly variable growth from year to year. Its needles are dense and slightly twisted, arranged irregularly on rotating branches, unpredictable in their growth. They are pale green to dark green, turning yellow in autumn before falling. Very hardy, this variety of mountain origin appreciates a light and slightly moist soil, without too much limestone, even poor, as well as a sunny exposure.

The European larch, Larix decidua, is a tall tree that can reach 30m in height, belonging to the Pinaceae family, like firs, spruces, cedars, and pines. It is one of the few conifers, along with bald cypress (Taxodium) and metasequoia, whose deciduous foliage falls in autumn. It is native to the mountains of central and Southern Europe, where it is found at an altitude between 1400 and 2400m. It is a pioneer species capable of improving poor or degraded soils, with great hardiness (down to -40°C). Highly valued for its wood, it adapts very well to cultivation in lowland areas.

The Larix decidua 'Krejča Mutation' is quite different from the original botanical species. This 1984 mutation, originating from Czechia, is a compact variety with very irregular growth, which can grow only a few centimetres in some years and 50cm in others. In 10 years, it reaches a height of 1m and a width of 60cm, and eventually reaches a height of about 2m and a width of 1m. This unpredictable growth gives the shrub a strange appearance. The shoots are curved. The needles are dense and slightly twisted. On the long branches, the needles are light green, 3 to 5cm long; the other needles are dark green, clustered irregularly on the branches. The foliage takes on beautiful yellow colours in autumn. The stems are twisted and light brown. It does not produce cones.

Extremely cold-resistant, this miniature conifer is, however, sensitive to drought. Perfectly adapted to mountainous regions, it is not suitable for much drier areas. Therefore, it should be planted in cool, well-drained soil, exposed to the sun or possibly under light shade. Once these basic needs are met, it proves to be relatively easy to cultivate, requiring almost no maintenance, except for slight pruning to shape its habit.

This Larix will interest collectors and enthusiasts of plant rarities. Its original habit leaves no one indifferent and allows it to find its place in rock gardens, provided the soil is not dry, or in contemporary gardens. Its highly architectural silhouette, especially in winter, will inevitably attract attention. It can be the starting point for a small collection of bizarre plants, like the Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana', a dwarf Japanese cedar that forms a one-metre-wide ball with a shaggy appearance. The Corylus avellana 'Scooter' is a twisted dwarf hazel that does not exceed 1m in height, with an appearance as ghostly as the larch, but with orbicular leaves that are quite different from its needles. And to stay in intricate forms, while enjoying beautiful colours, the Prunus incisa 'Kojo no mai' is a dwarf flowering cherry from Japan that combines a beautiful pale pink bloom in spring with a festival of red colours in autumn when the foliage blazes before falling.