Description: Tall pine with erect, sometimes sinuous trunk, dense pyramidal crown and horizontal branches, often retained to ground level.

Height: 20-40 m (ssp. salzmanni and dalmatica only to 20m).

Diameter: m

Needles: evergreen; in pairs; 8-16 cm; pointed; dark green.

Bark: grey-black with deep fissures

Flowers: unisexual; female flowers in axillary; oval; yellow or pink catkins; clustered in large numbers at base of new shoots. Male flowers at apex of new shoots; pink or purple; 0.5 cm; April-June.

Cones: ovoid; 6 × 4 cm; with scales barely projecting; single or in clusters of two to four; sessile. Seeds with wings 2-2.5 cm.

Habitat: Although the geographical subspecies have differing biological characteristics and ecological features, all are pioneer trees in mountainous areas at 500-1600m, preferring full sun, a continental climate and hot summers. Found in pure stands or with oaks, chestnuts and beeches.

Range: The type, ssp. nigra is found in Austria, NE and C Italy, Yugoslavia and Greece on poor or shallow soil, often calcareous. Corsican Pine, ssp. laricio (Poir.) Maire, on mountains above east coasts of Calabria, Sicily and Corsica. Pyrenean Pine, ssp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco, Cevennes, Pyrenees and Central-western Spain. Crimean Pine, ssp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe, Balkans, southern Carpathia, Crimea and Asia Minor. Dalmatian Pine, ssp. dalmatica (Vis.) Franco, has the most restricted range, found only in coastal regions and islands off Yugoslavia.

In southern Europe, the species is even more susceptible than P. sylvestris and other Mediterranean Pines to attack by the larvæ of a moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa, the processionary caterpillar, which causes decay and sometimes large-scale needle-cast. The round, white nests of these larvæ are easily visible. Made of silky threads, they are woven in the treetop as a daytime retreat. Protected by stinging hairs, the larvæ consume the leaves; when mature they descend in long processions to pupate. The nocturnal adults are inconspicuous and short-lived. In natural stands, biological control by hyper-parasites minimises destruction, but plantations are often devastated.

Corsican Pine was the earliest introduced to the UK, in 1759, and is still the commonest subspecies here, often used in coastal shelter belts as well as in parks, gardens and churchyards. Trees are commonly up to 35m, and exceptionally to 45m. Austrian Pine was introduced in 1835, with similar uses. Specimens are up to 35m though it appears to be a fairly short-lived species - this may be explained by the bleak situations in which it is often planted.

Information: MacDonald (1983), Mitchell (1978)

Source: Original tree not recalled. Seeds from Ainsdale sand dunes in West Lancashire (now Merseyside) which was widely planted with Austrian and Scots Pine in 1906.

Planted: Subspecies nigra in side strip, some time in late eighties - now doing well, 3.65 m on 1998.10.07 and very bushy.

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