International Larix Arboretum
Encyclopedia
The International Larix Arboretum is a small arboretum
of 1.2 acres (4,856.2 m²) dedicated to the scientific study of the larch
(Larix) species. It is located within the Coram Experimental Forest
, 2 blocks east of Hungry Horse Ranger Station at 8975 Highway 2E, Hungry Horse, Montana
. The Arboretum is open to the public, without charge, during daylight hours from April to October.
Coram Experimental Forest was established in 1933 on the Flathead National Forest
as an area representative of the Western Larch
(Larix occidentalis).
The Arboretum was dedicated on October 7, 1992 as part of an International Larix Symposium to provide opportunities for species comparisons and genetics research. Species from North America
, Asia
, and Europe
were planted, along with subspecies and hybrids. The Arboretum is organized as three equal-sized blocks, each about 70 by 230 feet (21 by 70 m), with 12 trees of each species, subspecies, and hybrids in each of the three blocks, for a total of nearly 600 trees.
The species planted are European Larch
(Larix decidua), Dahurian Larch
(Larix gmelinii), Japanese Larch
(Larix kaempferi), Tamarack Larch
(Larix laricina), Subalpine Larch
(Larix lyallii), Masters' Larch (Larix mastersiana), Western Larch
(Larix occidentalis), Chinese Larch (Larix potaninii), and Siberian Larch
(Larix sibirica). Himalayan Larch (Larix griffithii) was also to be planted but seed could not be obtained.
Hybrids planted include L. decidua x L. kaempferi (Larix x marschlinsii; Dunkeld Larch), L. lyallii x L. occidentalis (Bitterroot Larch), and L. occidentalis x L. lyallii (Bitterroot Larch, reverse cross).
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
of 1.2 acres (4,856.2 m²) dedicated to the scientific study of the larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
(Larix) species. It is located within the Coram Experimental Forest
Coram Experimental Forest
The Coram Experimental Forest was established in 1933 within the Flathead National Forest in the state of Montana, about 45 kilometers east of Kalispell and just outside the borders of Glacier National Park....
, 2 blocks east of Hungry Horse Ranger Station at 8975 Highway 2E, Hungry Horse, Montana
Hungry Horse, Montana
Hungry Horse is a census-designated place in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 934 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code for Hungry Horse is 59919.-Geography:Hungry Horse is located at ....
. The Arboretum is open to the public, without charge, during daylight hours from April to October.
Coram Experimental Forest was established in 1933 on the Flathead National Forest
Flathead National Forest
The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest covers of which about 1 million acres is designated wilderness. It is named after the Flathead Indians who lived in the area. The forest is located in the Rocky Mountains with elevations...
as an area representative of the Western Larch
Western Larch
Western Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America, in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana.It is a large deciduous coniferous tree...
(Larix occidentalis).
The Arboretum was dedicated on October 7, 1992 as part of an International Larix Symposium to provide opportunities for species comparisons and genetics research. Species from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
were planted, along with subspecies and hybrids. The Arboretum is organized as three equal-sized blocks, each about 70 by 230 feet (21 by 70 m), with 12 trees of each species, subspecies, and hybrids in each of the three blocks, for a total of nearly 600 trees.
The species planted are European Larch
European Larch
Larix decidua, common name European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathians, with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania.-Description:...
(Larix decidua), Dahurian Larch
Dahurian Larch
Dahurian Larch, Larix gmelinii, is a species of larch native to eastern Siberia, and adjacent northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China and North Korea.-Description:...
(Larix gmelinii), Japanese Larch
Japanese Larch
Japanese Larch is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū....
(Larix kaempferi), Tamarack Larch
Tamarack Larch
Tamarack Larch, or Tamarack, or Hackmatack, or American Larch is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and also south into the northeastern United States from Minnesota to Cranesville Swamp, West Virginia; there is also a...
(Larix laricina), Subalpine Larch
Subalpine Larch
Larix lyallii, the Subalpine Larch, or simply Alpine Larch, is a coniferous tree native to northwestern North America. It lives at very high altitudes in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alberta...
(Larix lyallii), Masters' Larch (Larix mastersiana), Western Larch
Western Larch
Western Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America, in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana.It is a large deciduous coniferous tree...
(Larix occidentalis), Chinese Larch (Larix potaninii), and Siberian Larch
Siberian Larch
The Siberian Larch or Russian Larch is a frost-hardy tree native to western Russia, from close to the Finnish border east to the Yenisei valley in central Siberia, where it hybridises with the Dahurian Larch L...
(Larix sibirica). Himalayan Larch (Larix griffithii) was also to be planted but seed could not be obtained.
Hybrids planted include L. decidua x L. kaempferi (Larix x marschlinsii; Dunkeld Larch), L. lyallii x L. occidentalis (Bitterroot Larch), and L. occidentalis x L. lyallii (Bitterroot Larch, reverse cross).