Larch Pine Pinus nigra
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Pinus laricio var. nigra
- Phonetic Spelling
- PY-nus NY-grah
- Description
-
The Austrian Pine is a medium to large-sized evergreen conifer that grows 40 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide. It has a pyramidal habit when young, but as the tree ages, the crown rounds and forms a dome shape. This ornamental tree has stiff dark green needles that occur in bundles of two. The cones are pointed directly out and away from the stem and are oval and brown at maturity. The bark of the tree is dark brown to black, furrowed, and plate-like. The branches are stout and spreading, and the trunk is straight.
This tree is native to central and southern Europe and is a member of the Pinaceae or pine family.
The genus name, Pinus, is the Latin word for pine. The epithet, nigra, means black and references the bark.
The Austrian pine prefers full sun, moist, well-drained soils, and is adaptable to different soil types. It is easy to transplant and tolerates clay soils, urban pollution, salt, and drought once established.
The Austrian pine may be used as a specimen, screen, or windbreak.
Quick ID Hints:
- straight trunk, stout branches
- dark brown to black, furrowed bark
- needles in bundles of two, stiff, rigid, sharply pointed
- cones in groups of 2 to 4 and point out away from the stem
Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Austrian pine is susceptible to Sphaeropsis (Diplodia) tip blight and Dothistroma needle blight. Potential insect pests include aphids, adelgids, bark beetle bore, sawfly larvae caterpillars, sawflies, pine needle miner larvae, pine needle scale, pine spittlebugs, spruce mites, Zimmerman pine moth, and pine wilt nematode.
VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Arnold Sentinel'
Columnar habit - 'Aurea'
variegated - 'Black Prince'
dwarf shrub form - 'Compacta'
compact habit - 'Globosa'
Dwarf habit
'Hornibrookiana'
- 'Monstrosa'
- 'Moseri'
golden yellow needles during the winter
Dwarf, 2' tall, 4'-6' wide - 'Arnold Sentinel'
- 'Arnold Sentinel', 'Aurea', 'Black Prince', 'Compacta', 'Globosa', 'Hornibrookiana', 'Monstrosa', 'Moseri'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Arnold Sentinel'
Columnar habit - 'Aurea'
variegated - 'Black Prince'
dwarf shrub form - 'Compacta'
compact habit - 'Globosa'
Dwarf habit
'Hornibrookiana'
- 'Monstrosa'
- 'Moseri'
golden yellow needles during the winter
Dwarf, 2' tall, 4'-6' wide - 'Arnold Sentinel'
- 'Arnold Sentinel', 'Aurea', 'Black Prince', 'Compacta', 'Globosa', 'Hornibrookiana', 'Monstrosa', 'Moseri'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Pinus
- Species:
- nigra
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mediterranean , Eastern Austria to Northern Caucasus
- Distribution:
- Native: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, North Caucasus, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. Distribution: Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, New South Wales, Norway, Poland, South Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Victoria, and the United States--IL and NY.
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
- Play Value:
- Screening
- Wind Break
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
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-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Broad
- Dense
- Erect
- Horizontal
- Mounding
- Pyramidal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is an oval, hard, brown cone, and initially, measures 0.5 inches long. At maturity, the cone is 2.5 to 3 inches long with blunt, short spine scales. They mature in the fall.
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Insignificant
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- There are separate male and female cones on the same tree. The male cones are yellow, long, cylinder-shaped, and measure 0.5 to 0.75 inches long. They are in dense clusters at the base of young branchlets or candles. The female strobili appear at the tip of the candle. It is small, oval, and purplish. They bloom from late April to May.
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-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Prickly
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Shape:
- Filiform
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are needles that are 3 to 6 inches long and appear in bundles of two. They are stiff, rigid, sharply pointed, and dark bluish-green. They are mostly straight but may appear slightly twisted. The needles are retained for up to 4 years.
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-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Black
- Dark Brown
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- The bark is dark gray to black and has flat vertical ridges and furrows.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Young stems are greenish-brown and smooth, but they have tangled, flat hairs at the needle site. With age, the stems become scaly and grayish brown. The buds are 1-inch long, pointed, and conical with reddish-brown scales.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Barrier
- Border
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Pollution
- Salt
