Austrian Pine, Pinus nigra, Tree Seeds

Hardy, Adaptable, Easy to Grow, Fast Growth, Evergreen, Christmas Tree, Bonsai, Topiary, Screen/Windbreak, Cold, Heat, Drought, Salt, Pollution and Wind Tolerant

Austrian Pine is a medium to large evergreen conifer that is native from central and southeastern Europe to western Asia. It grows 40 to 60 feet tall. It is tolerant of urban, seaside and other difficult conditions. Trees exhibit a dense pyramidal habit in youth. Crown rounds with age forming a spreading flat top or dome. From an ornamental standpoint, older trees can be quite attractive, featuring dense spreading branching, stiff shiny dark green needles 3 to 6 inches long in bundles of two. The deeply furrowed bark is scaled in a mosaic of white, gray and dark brown. Oval, stalkless cones to 3 inches long mature to a shiny brown. Also commonly called European Black Pine (nigra means black).

Foliage: Two evergreen needles per bundle, to 5 inches long and stiff dark green, radiating from very stout stems, and persisting for about five years on the stems.

Flowers: Monoecious, flowering in late April and early May, and while noticeable they are ornamentally insignificant. Staminate flowers are in clustered orange-yellow catkins, while the pistillate flowers appear as small immature yellow-green cones.

Fruits: 2 to 3 inch shiny yellow-brown cones.

Twigs: Chartreuse and stout when emerging from the large terminal buds as upright "candles", becoming gray, rough, needle-scarred, and very stout with age.

Trunk/Bark: Gray-brown furrows and ridges are often hidden by the lower branches, unless the tree is limbed up with age upon prolonged exposure to sunlight, the outer bark on mature trees becomes chalky white, and the inner bark darkens to almost black, creating a platy zebra-like pattern with maturity; however, only Austrian Pines that are limbed up and of old age exhibit this trait.

ID Summary: The bold, upright, broadly pyramidal growth habit in youth is highlighted by long, stiff, dark green, dense needles on stout ascending branches, with prominent light green vertical candles in spring. The flat-topped crown of extreme age (over 50 years) is composed of many spreading but ultimately ascending upper branches, with sparse branching from the mid- and lower trunk, whose exposed bark takes on the composition of chalky white platy ridges contrasting with deep dark furrows.

Other Names: Austrian Pine, European Black Pine

Zone: 4 to 7

Growth Rate: Fast to Medium

Plant Type: Needled evergreen conifer

Family: Pinaceae

Native Range: Central and southern Europe
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Spread: 20 to 40 feet
Shape: Pyramidal and dense when young, with age becoming flat-topped, with spreading branches and umbrella shaped.

Bloom Time: April-May
Flower/Fruit: Male flowers yellowish, in clusters, female flowers yellow-green followed by 3 inch cones.

Sun: Full Sun

Fall Color: Evergreen

Drought Tolerance: Moderate, once established.

Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium

Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Grow in deep, moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some drought once established. Also tolerates clay soils. Generally tolerant of urban conditions.

Uses: Specimen, mass plantings, screen or windbreak, topiary, bonsai. Highway and seaside planting for salt tolerance.

Sowing Pinus nigra Seeds:

For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.

Scarify: Soak in water for 24 hours

Stratify: Cold 30 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium.

Germination: Sow 1/4” Deep

For more information about seed pretreatment and growing trees and shrubs from seed, please download this .pdf:

https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2007/08/fcpg018.pdf

Germination:

1. Seeds Packets are labeled with seed name and sowing details.
2. Seeds have not been pretreated unless specified in the listing.
3. Seed is not a specific Cultivar (Variety) unless specified in the listing.
4. Due to the many factors involved in successful germination, Seller cannot be responsible for buyers growing methods or mistakes.
5. I have provided what I believe to be a good overview on this page (which you are free to print for further reference), however, it is still recommended to check specialist literature for more details and practices specific to your climate and soil conditions to avoid mistakes in the germination and growing process.

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