Pinus nigra

• BOTANICAL NAME: Pinus nigra
• PRONUNCIATION: (PI-nus   NI-gruh)
• COMMON NAME: Austrian Pine
• FAMILY: Pinaceae (Pine Family)
• NATIVITY: Europe
• GROWTH HABIT: Broadly conical when young, aging to attractive,
  flat-topped trees.
• SIZE: 60’ to 80’ tall in cultivation, this plant will grow up to 120’ tall in ideal situations in its native habitat.
• HARDINESS: Zone 5 to 7.
• CULTURE: Full sun and moist, well-drained soils. Grows on poor, rocky soils in parts of its native range. This pine is tolerant of wind, alkaline soils, and urban conditions.
• LANDSCAPE USE: Large specimen tree, or as a grove of trees in large areas such as parks.
• FOLIAGE: Needles are 3” to 6” in length, arranged in bundles of two. Needles are stiff to the touch. Leaf sheath is about 1/2” long and persistent.
• BUDS: Ovate to cylindrical, ½” to 1” long, gray-brown or whitish in color and somewhat resinous.
• BARK: Mature bark is distinctive and attractive. Large, mature trees have fissured bark with broad, flat ridges that are light gray in color, contrasting with the dark brown, nearly black fissures.
• CONE: Cones typically in groups of 2 to 4 and nearly sessile on the stem.  Cones are 2” to 4” long and yellow-brown to light brown in color, prickle often present.
• PROPAGATION: Seed.
• PESTS:  Diplodia blight, which greatly reduces the effect use of this plant in the mid-Atlantic states.
• CULTIVARS: There are several varieties due to its disjunct range in its native habitat. There is considerable discussion with regard to splitting this species into several new species.