Larix kaempferi 'Diana' / Diana Japanese larch

Larix kaempferi 'Diana' a fast-growing tree from of Japanese larch with branches that twist, contort and corkscrew somewhat similarly to contorted filbert, the green needles also are twisted giving `Diana' even more character. A must for the connoisseur of the interesting and unusual. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 12 feet (3.5 m) tall and 7.5 feet (2.5 m) wide, an annual growth rate of 1 foot (30 cm) or more.

This cultivar originated as a mutated tree found in nature in 1974 at Gerhard Diedrich Böhlje of Westerstede Germany. He found the original tree growing in the wild during a hunting trip and named it for the Diana, the Greek Goddess of the Hunt. He later introduced it to the nursery trade via his namesake nursery. Many references misspelled it as, L. kaempferi 'Diane.' This mistake is easily reconciled knowing that Böhlje's intent was to name it after the Greek goddess.