Ancient larch trees

At 1425 m asl there are three ancient larch trees, located on the verge of a protected forest.

They are located at high altitudes. The ancient larch trees of Santa Geltrude in Val d’Ultimo are not an everyday phenomenon. In 1930 one of the originally fours trees tipped over, which boasted more than 2,000 annual rings. According to other documents this is exagerated, but it has been proven that it had more than 850 rings. The three trees that still stand there are the most ancient conifers all over Europe, even with the latter age.

They cannot deny their age and the stress and strains they had to sustain in their lives, which are particularly evident on the surface and tree tops. The only intact tree top is 36.5 m high, but withered consequently to a lightning strike. The perimeter of the tree trunk is 7 m, but there is also another with 8.34 m. This tree is 34.5 m high and its tree top had to give away to forces of nature. The third larch tree boasts a huge hollow in the trunk. The tree top is represented by a branch towering into the sky. The little green on this tree appears every year again and seems to do so also in the future.

The three larch trees in Val d’Ultimo are shelter for several plants and animals, including bats. This is also why the inhabitants of Val d’Ultimo call the larch trees “Fledermauslarch”, which means bat larch trees. By the way, the ancient larches have been declared World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1979 and since 2002 there are a few paths in the surroundings, offering also information on the larches.
A pleasant experience!