It can survive well at high altitudes, growing up to the tree line. In northern and central Europe these trees are often cultivated for their wood, which is of extremely good quality. The durability of larch wood, even when immersed in water, led to its use for the wooden piles from which form a large part of the foundations of Venice, Italy. The larch can grow to a height of up to 120 feet. In central Europe there are several specimens of larches that are 600 years old and have a diameter of over five feet.
New cones appear shortly before the new needles.
After the seeds have been dispersed the cones remain on the branch for years. A type of turpentine can be made from the larch. In spring a hole about an inch in diameter is bored in the trunk approx. This is then sealed with a plug until the fall. When the plug is removed the balsam that has collected drips slowly out.