Black pine

Short Description

The black pine is an evergreen conifer with a height of 20 to 40 metres.

The dark green needles are long, pointed and often curved or twisted in. They grow in twos on a short shoot. Their cross-section is semicircular.

The bark is brownish to grey and has deep cracks (reticulately fissured). Younger twigs are light brown or yellowish orange.

There are male and female flower cones. The green, male flowers are clustered at the ends of the shoots. The female flower cones always grow together in groups of two to four. They are green at first and turn red for pollination. The seed-bearing cones then develop from them.

The ovoid cones are three to twelve centimetres long. They are light brown. The inner parts of the cone scales, visible only when the cones are open, are black. The cones sit at right angles or at an angle at the ends of the twigs.

In the city

The black pine is a common park and forest tree. In the city, it is also planted as an evergreen solitary tree in squares and along smaller streets, as it is very immission-, drought- and salt-tolerant.

It is also popular as a garden tree because its resin spreads a pleasant fragrance and the sound of the wind through the crown is perceived as calming. In spring, the high pollen production can lead to yellow coatings on cars or garden furniture.