Larix decidua 'Lanark' is a broad, oval, upright form of European larch with bright-green foliage held on short stems. After 10 years of growth a mature specimen will measure 3 feet (1 m) tall and wide, an average growth rate of 3 to 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
This cultivar originated as a witch's broom found in 1980 by Randy Dykstra of Fulton, Illinois on U.S. Route 64 West, Lanark, Illinois, USA. In Chub Harper's field notes, he describes the broom as, "medium size, low." The original broom is famous for consistently producing excellent dwarf and miniature seedlings, notably L. decidua 'Gossard Dwarf' and 'Pretty Carole.'
Larix decidua 'Lanark' — Randy Dykstra is pictured harvesting scionwood from the original broom in 1986. He is the one who found the original broom and propagated many seedlings from it before it was destroyed.
Photo by Chub Harper field notes
Larix decidua 'Lanark' a 2006 photo from a private garden in Rock Island, Illinois.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Larix decidua 'Lanark' — a closeup of foliage detail.
Photo by Bill Barger
Larix decidua 'Lanark' in the Harper Collection at Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton, Michigan. This is one of the original propagations from the mid-1980s.
Photo by Bill Barger
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