Growing the Austrian Pine in the Home Garden

The Austrian pine could be the perfect conifer for your city landscape. It is able to withstand many of the conditions, like pollution and salinity in the air, that may make the life for other urban trees harder.

Latin Name:

The species name for this pine tree is Pinus nigra. It is considered to be in the Pinaceae family.

Common Names:

You may see this called Austrian pine or European black pine.

Preferred USDA Hardiness Zones:

This pine tree grows best in Zones 4-7.

Size & Shape:

The tree will form a pyramidal or oval shape while young and may become irregular as the tree ages. It will grow to be 40-60' tall and 20-40' wide.

Exposure:

Grow this tree in a location that receives full sun.

Foliage/Flowers/Fruit:

There are two needles in each fascicle. They are 2-6" long and dark green in color.

The tree is monoecious and the male and female flowers are both yellow to yellow-green. The female flowers may also come in a purple color.

The brown cones are shaped like an egg and measure 2-3" long.

Design Tips For Austrian Pine:

Water regularly for the first year. After that period, this pine will have some resistance to drought.

If you live in an urban area, you may want to consider one of these trees. They are able to handle salt in the air, as well as pollution and other problems found in the city atmosphere.

Growing Tips for Austrian Pine:

The Austrian pine is able to grow in many different types of soil, especially ones that can be considered difficult, like clay or sand.

Maintenance/Pruning:

As always, you can remove any dead ​diseased or damaged branches on the tree. Otherwise, there should be little pruning involved in the upkeep of your tree unless you need to remove branches over a street or walkway.

Pests & Diseases of Austrian Pine:

Some pests of the Austrian pine are:

• Adelgids (various genera)
• Bark beetles (various genera)
• European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer)
• European Pine shoot moth (Rhyacionia buoliana)
• Pine needle miner (Coleotechnites spp.)
• Pine needle scale (Chionaspis pinifoliae)
• Pine sawyer beetle (Monochamus)
• Pine spittle bug (Aphrophora)

Some diseases that affect the Austrian pine are:

• Diplodia tip blight (caused by Sphaeropsis - quite susceptible in the Eastern United States, so plan with that possibility in mind.)
• Dothistroma needlecast (caused by Dothistroma pini)
• Lophodermium needlecast (caused by Lophodermium seditiosum)
• Pine wilt (caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)