Botanical atlas

Dahurian Larch

Larix dahurica

Long before citrus ever reached the taiga, the peoples of Siberia and the Russian Far East, including Evenki and other Tungusic communities, turned to the young needles of the Dahurian larch as a seasonal source of vitamin C, brewing them into a bracing tea through the long winters. The fragrant resin that weeps from the bark was traditionally pressed onto cuts, cracked skin, and minor wounds as a natural field dressing, valued for its sticky, protective seal. Because the tree thrives where almost nothing else will, in ground that stays frozen for most of the year, it earned a reputation as a hardy ally, offered by the forest itself when supplies ran thin. Its inner bark and resin also found a place in traditional remedies for coughs and chest complaints during the harsh northern winters.

Safety.

The raw resin can irritate skin or trigger a reaction in people sensitive to conifer resins, so patch test first. Concentrated larch extracts and essential oil are not meant to be taken internally, and since some larch compounds may stimulate the immune system, use caution with immune-suppressing medication. Be sure of identification before foraging, since other conifers have toxic look-alikes.