Botanical atlas

European Larch

Larix decidua

In the villages of the Alps, the European larch was as much a medicine chest as it was a source of timber and turpentine. Herders and woodcutters tapped its trunk for the fragrant resin known as Venice turpentine, rubbing it into aching chests and stiff joints after long days in the cold. A tea from the young needles or inner bark was kept on hand through the winter for coughs and head colds, valued for its bright, resinous scent as much as its warming effect. The tree's habit of dropping its needles each autumn, unlike its evergreen relatives, made it feel almost animal in its seasons, a conifer that breathed with the year.

Safety.

Larch resin and turpentine are for external use only and shouldn't be ingested, as they can irritate the mouth and throat. Patch test first, since some people develop skin irritation from the resin.