Western Larch (Larix occidentalis)

Family: Pinaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Bloom Color: Red, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Sap/Syrup

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet syrup. — A gum, or resin, is produced under the bark.; It is a gum arabic substitute, very soluble in water, and is used as a thickening agent, stabilizer, emulsifier and for chewing.; It exudes from the trunk and branches but commercially it is usually obtained by extraction from wood chips as a by-product of the lumber industry.; The sap can be harvested in the spring and, when concentrated by boiling off much of the water, is made into a sweet syrup.

Habitat & North American Range

Mountain valleys and lower slopes, often in swampy areas, usually in mixed stands. (Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6)