Siberian Larch : The Siberian Larch Tree

The Siberian Larch tree, Latin name Larix Sibirica, grows, as the name suggests, in Siberia, a Russian province where the average annual temperature is minus 5 degrees Celsius, or a January average of -25 degrees!

When it comes to classification, The Siberian Larch tree is a deciduous conifer, meaning it loses its needles in the winter, and actually a softwood. The word ‘softwood’ doesn’t reflect the properties of the timber as physically, Siberian Larch is incredibly hard.

This abundance of cold weather results in a slow-grown, resinous and dense tree, resulting in extremely hard, strong and durable timber.

As well as this strength from slow growth, Siberian Larch’s durability is increased by the amount of resin present in the timber. Even when cut and machined into a product, this protects the wood from rot and insect infestation which gives the timber a very long working lifespan. It’s these combinations of properties that makes larch cladding such a popular product.

The Siberian Larch tree’s average height is between 20 and 40m, with a diameter of around 1m. It takes around 15 years before the trees are mature enough to produce seeds of their own and reproduce.