Larix kaempferi Grey Pearl - Larch

The Larix kaempferi 'Grey Pearl', is a dwarf and compact form of the Japanese larch. It is a deciduous conifer with a habit initially globose, and becoming more pyramidal over time. Its tiered branches are clothed in almost downy, irresistible foliage, composed of flexible and incurved needles, blue-green on top exhibiting a silver underside. It takes on a magnificent bronze-yellow hue in autumn. Slow-growing, it is ideal for small spaces. It will be welcome in a rockery or on the terrace, and lends itself well to the art of bonsai. Hardy, but sensitive to late frosts, it appreciates light, neutral to acidic soil, fresh, and a sunny exposure.

The Japanese larch, Larix kaempferi, also called Larix leptolepis, is a large Japanese conifer with a conical habit that can reach 30 m (98 ft 5 in) in height, with deciduous foliage. It is native to the mountains of the Hondo Island, at an altitude ranging between 1 300 to 2 900 m, but it adapts very well to cultivation in the plain in a rather fresh oceanic climate. It belongs to the Pinaceae family, such as pines, firs and spruces. It is a species very closely related to the European Larix decidua.

After 10 years, the Larix kaempheri 'Grey Pearl' forms a rather rounded and compact bush of 1m (3 ft 4 in) in height and 1.30 m (4 ft 4 in) in spread. Its growth is slow. Over time, it adopts a slightly pyramidal habit. Similar to Christmas trees, its branches superimpose and rank from bottom to top; the largest occupy the bottom of the pyramid while the shortest form the head. From spring to summer, the twigs dress up in generally blue-silver foliage, and it is mainly the underside of the needles that is visible. These are inserted in dense rosettes on short twigs. The bush takes on a bronze hue in autumn before the fall of the needles. Covering its old branches, a brown-red or orange-red bark cracks into scales with age.

The dwarf Japanese larch 'Grey Pearl' is a small, very refined, undemanding conifer, easy to grow in a small garden, in a rockery or a bed, as long as the soil remains fairly fresh and it is placed in a sunny exposure. It will also be adopted near a swimming pool, as it goes well with geometric lines and masonry works. It is also easily grown in pots to decorate the terrace or balcony. It can also be turned into a delightful bonsai.  The real graphic qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes and textures rather than the waltz of flowerings. These plants permanently structure a bed, mark the paths, border the terrace, easily substituting the strong presence of the pruned boxwood. They are associated with shaggy grasses and heathers whose temperament is very complementary. The whole thing is to play with volumes and colours. 

Advice : Water regularly during the first two years, and in cases of prolonged drought. While it tolerates a soil that is occasionally dry in a cool climate, this conifer will be disappointing in a climate that is too dry and too hot in summer.