The larch forest

The symbol of the Southern Alps, this softwood tree loses its leaves in winter. Perfect adaptation to winters in the high mountains: being leafless, the branches are better able to withstand the weight of the snow. Arranged in little clusters, the leaves are a soft green in the spring and golden yellow in the autumn. It is a pioneer species which needs light in order to grow. It provides mankind with a source of pasture for the flocks and a strong and rot-proof construction material.