Pinus nigra — Austrian pine
![Leaves: Pinus nigra. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-nigra-le-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Fruits: Pinus nigra. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-nigra-fr-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Winter buds: Pinus nigra. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-nigra-wb-ahaines-f.jpg)
![Fruits: Pinus nigra. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-nigra-fr-ahaines-b.jpg)
![Fruits: Pinus nigra. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Pinaceae/pinus-nigra-fr-ahaines-d.jpg)
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Facts
Austrian pine is native to central and southern Europe and neighboring Asia. It grows up to 70 feet (22 m) tall, often becoming umbrella-shaped when older. The platy, red-brown bark on mature trees is interestingly textured. The needles come in pairs and are flexible. The cones are symmetrical and sessile (with no stalk). It resembles red pine (Pinus resinosa), but the latter species has brittle needles with blunt ends.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf arrangement
- the needle-like leaves are in clusters or held on short shoots
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are in bundles or clusters of two
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Winter bud shape
- the winter buds are ovoid (egg-shaped)
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed cone base
- the base of the seed cone does not look hollow
- Seed cone bracts
- the bracts are covered by the seed cone scales
- Seed cone form
- the seed cone is longer than wide, with woody scales attached at the base
- Seed cone scales
- the visible portion of the scale of the closed seed cone is thickened at its base
- Seed cone shape
- the seed cone is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Seed cone symmetry
- the seed cone is symmetrical
- Seed cone umbo spine
- the seed cone scale has a sharp point on it
- Seed wings
- the seeds have wing-like projections
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Leaf arrangement
- the needle-like leaves are in clusters or held on short shoots
- Leaf base
- NA
- Leaf clustering
- the needle-like leaves are in bundles or clusters of two
- Leaf cross-section
- the needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side (can be rolled between the fingers)
- Leaf duration
- the needle-like leaves remain green all winter
- Leaf form
- the leaves are needle-like
- Leaf glands
- there are no glands on the underside of the needle-like leaves
- Leaf stalks
- the needle-like leaves do not have a leaf stalk
- Leaf types
- there are two distinct types of needle-like leaves on the twig
- Leaves overlapping
- the needle-like leaves are separate and do not hide the twig surface
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Bark resin blisters
- there are no resin blisters on the bark
- Leaves on shoots
- there are needle-like leaves growing in tight clusters on a short, knob-like shoot
- Twig bloom
- there is no bloom on the twig
- Twig hair type
- the twigs have few or no hairs on them
- Twig hairs
- the twig does not have hairs
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Pinus nigra Arnott E
Austrian pine. MA, ME. Forest edges and fragments, near areas of human habitation.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Pinus resinosa:
- leaves brittle, tending to break when bent, winter buds red-brown, smaller branches orange-brown, and seed cones, when falling, leaving some of the basal scales on the branch (vs. P. nigra, with leaves pliable, tending not to break when bent, winter buds gray, smaller branches brown to gray-brown, and seed cones falling with all the scales intact).
- Pinus thunbergii:
- winter buds not resinous, growth habit irregular, the main stem and branches often forked, and seed cones stalked, with a +/- truncate base (vs. P. nigra, with winter buds resinous, growth habit relatively uniform and often with an unbranched main stem, and seed cones sessile, with a +/- rounded base).