Pinus nigra (Austrian Pine, Black Pine)
Michael's Opinion
A very common landscape tree favored by landscape architects for its dark green colour, broadly pyramidal form and its adaptability to urban conditions. I consider it an overused plant.
Botanical Information
| Family | Pinaceae |
| Genus | Pinus |
| Species | nigra |
| Category | Woody |
| Type | Tree (evergreen) |
| Origin | Native to Europe, Austria, and Central Italy. It was introduced into cultivation in North America around 1759. |
| Pronunciation |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 4 - 7 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | 2a - 6b |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H5 - H7 |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | -34 - (-15) |
| Temperature (°F) | -30 - 5 |
| Height | 16 - 19 m |
| Spread | 6.5 - 13 m |
| Growth | Medium |
| Flowering Period | May |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | Large evergreen that grows very dense and pyramidal in form. In North America it is often planted as screens and windbreaks along roads as it is pollution tolerant. |
| ID Characteristic | It has some of the longest needles of the 2-needled pines, they are stiff but do not break when a palm test is preformed. |
| Shape | Densely pyramidal becoming irregular and umbrella-shaped with age. |
| Landscape | Often used as a screen and windbreak because of its dense form,it is widely planted in mass plantings, as they are quite pollution tolerant. |
| Propagation | Propagated via seed during October – November often being planted in late autumn and early spring. Seeds can be cold stratified for 60 days to accelerate germination. |
| Cultivation | Plant in full sun, tolerates some shade, a variety of soil types, but does best in moist loam soils. |
| Pests | Susceptible to Diplodia tip blight. |
| Notable Specimens | Fanshawe College London, Ontario, Canada. A.M. Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England. |
| Habitat | Found throughout Europe in areas with rich soil and a moist climate. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Dark brown grey furrows with flattened ridges. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Cylindrical, 1 - 2.5 cm long, sharp pointed with pale brown resinous scales. |
| Leaf Description | A 2-needle pine, needles 8 - 16cm long, they are stiff but do not break cleanly in half. |
| Flower Description | Staminate clustered, yellow; pistillate yellow green. It is cylindrical in shape and approximately 2 cm in size. They are pollinated from May to June then dry up and drop off within a few weeks. |
| Fruit Description | Conical, 5 - 7.5 cm long, 2.5 - 3 cm wide clusters of 2 - 4 at right angles to the branch. They are yellow-green pre-ripening, turning light brown in maturity generally from September through November of the second year. |
| Colour Description | The needles are dark green. The bark is dark brown to dark grey and the cones start out yellow eventually becoming reddish brown. |
| Texture Description | It is a smaller dense pine than other species, irregular in shape and texture turning umbrella like when reaching maturity. |
Photographs
A mature specimen at Wakehurst Gardens, England.
Diplodia tip blight (Diplodia pinea) on an old, stressed Austrain Pine.
Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana.
Pinus nigra 'Black Prince'.
Pinus nigra var. pyramidata subsp. pallasiana.