Black pine ∗ The big guide from A to Z

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Pinus nigra
• Occurrence: Southern Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor
• Growth type: conifer
• Growth height: 20 m to 30 m
• Leaves: needles
• flowers: cone-shaped
• Fruits: cones
• Wood: rich in resin, durable
• Roots: Deep-rooting
• Hardiness: frost hardy
• Age: up to 800 years
• Usage: park tree, timber, medicinal plant

cones

flower and fruit of one black pine are cones. Male and female cones are inconspicuous on the monoecious tree species of the same sex. It takes up to two years for the distinctive pine cones to develop from fertilized female flowers. The following overview summarizes important facts about the cones of a black pine:

• heyday: April to June
• male flower: green, 2-3 mm long, terminal, clustered on long shoots
• female flower: greenish, later carmine red, short-stalked, in groups, in twos or fours
• fruit: 4-12 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, heavily woody brown cones

Contrasted with upright pinecone the cones of a black pine hang on the branch or stick out at an angle. When the light brown cones open, the previously hidden black cone scales can be seen.

wood

The wood of a black pine is particularly rich in resin and durable. Until the 20th In the 19th century, the tree species was used in Austria for extracting resin. The wood is characterized by the following properties:

• Sapwood: whitish yellow, wide
• Heartwood: dark red, rich in resin
• Density: 590 kg/m³
• Compressive strength: 51 N/mm²
• Tensile strength: 104 N/mm²
• Bending strength: 100 N/mm²

Connoisseurs appreciate that the wood of Pinus nigra is excellent for impregnation. Black pine is a good choice for use in timber construction with water contact, such as in shipbuilding or for wooden walkways on garden ponds.

growth

In terms of silviculture, the black pine is important for afforestation of problematic locations worldwide thanks to its undemanding nature. For hobby gardeners, this fact is of course only one aspect of planting the magnificent conifer. It is worth taking a look at the following compact facts about growth:

• Growth form: imposing, broadly conical, later spreading and umbrella-shaped up to 30 meters in height.
• Special feature: branches with dense leaves grow in even tiers.
• Needles: light to dark green, rigid-prickly, 8 cm to 24 cm long, arranged in pairs.
• Bark: grey-brown, grooved black, peeling off in plates when old.
• Roots: Deep-rooted, pronounced horizontal-vertical root system
• Caution: root system expansion lifts toppings at.

The annual rings are clearly visible in the trunk that has been cut open, so that the age can be deduced from the number. According to scientific research, the black pine can live up to 800 years.

The following video highlights the limits of undemanding black pine:

Germany's largest black pine forest in danger

Occurrence

The natural range of black pines has been significantly split by the past ice ages. Pinus nigra occur in these regions:

• Southern Europe, parts of North Africa and Asia Minor
• Northern border: Austria
• Eastern border: Crimean Peninsula (Black Sea)
• Southern border: Atlas Mountains (Morocco), Algeria, Sicily, Cyprus

Because the black pine is so insensitive and frost hardy, the conifer has gained in silvicultural appreciation in recent years. Today, the distribution area extends over the whole of Germany. As a result of targeted reforestation, the southern European tree species can be found in forests and public parks just as frequently as the native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The conifer made the leap across the Atlantic as early as 1759. At that time, the black pine was one of the first European tree species to be imported into the USA.

use

The black pine scores with numerous advantages and a wide range of practical uses. Pinus nigra is resinous, insensitive to erosion, salt spray or strong winds, endures freezing cold and sweltering heat, produces high-quality wood and has various healing properties in it Baggage. The following table provides an overview:

Please note: No healing effect without side effects. This rule of thumb also applies to black pine oil as a natural remedy. When applied in too high a dose, painful skin irritations are to be complained about.

Plant black pine

You can buy black pines in balls or in containers from nurseries and garden centers. The best planting time is in autumn or spring. Basically, you can plant Pinus nigra at any time of the year, as long as the ground is not frozen. The flexibility of the planting time continues seamlessly with the choice of location and planting technique. Read useful tips about the perfect planting of a black pine in the following sections:

Location

The site claims of a black pine underpin its much-vaunted undemanding:

• lighting conditions: sunny to semi-shady position (the sunnier, the more magnificent the needle dress).
• floor: normal garden soil, from dry-sandy to loamy-moist, from nutrient-rich to lean.

The only exclusion criterion when choosing a location is waterlogging. If the root system is regularly under water, the black pine will not grow. In this case, another conifer comes into focus. the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) can also be planted in the middle of the garden pond.

Plant black pine

Dig a planting pit twice the volume of the root ball. Organic initial fertilization is advantageous for rapid growth. If available, mix in mature compost horn shavings(€9.00 at Amazon*) under the excavation. Pre-soak the roots in water until no more air bubbles rise. Plant the black pine at ground level and stamp the earth. The ideal planting depth can be recognized by a soil mark on the trunk. Water generously and regularly on the day of planting and afterwards.

digression

climate tree of the future

Cultivate black pine

The undemanding nature of a black pine is reflected in its uncomplicated care. You don't need a well-rooted Pinus nigra fertilize. Experience has shown that a rainfall of 600 to 1,000 milliliters covers the water requirement. Water the conifer once or twice a week only if the drought persists.

Regular pruning is only part of the maintenance program if you prescribe a topiary for your black pine. Yellow or brown needles are due to location problems or disease. The following sections explain the details:

To cut

For light-flooded growth, remove the deadwood every two to three years. Best time is in February. Saw or cut a thick, dead one branch on a string away. Take this opportunity to cut back branches that are too long. The important thing to note is that there are green needles below the intersection. Too low circumcised conifers no longer sprout from old wood.

For a topiary, devote yourself to the conifer again between May and June. Shorten the candles of the fresh shoots by half. Alternatively, you can break the soft candles in the middle by hand.

Yellow and brown needles - causes

The most common causes of yellow and brown needles on Pinus nigra are:

• The leaves change season: old needles die off and make way for new leaves.
• Location problems: if the place is too dark or waterlogged, the needles discolor and fall off.
• Diseases: Pine shedding (Lophodermium seditiosum), pine rotting rust (Melampsora populnea), black pine dieback (Gremmeniella abietina).

When there is a frost, a black pine suffers from drought stress. The root system is frozen, no snow or rain falls as a natural water supply. The needles then turn yellow, later brown and fall off. By watering the tree occasionally on mild days in winter, the needles will stay lush green.

Popular Varieties

A colorful array of beautiful black pine varieties awaits hobby gardeners in tree nurseries, garden centers and hardware stores:

• Austrian black pine (Pinus nigra austriaca): deep green needles, broad umbrella-shaped growth, 20-30 m tall.
• pyramidata: Column black pine, needles up to 20 cm long, slender growth up to 5 m tall.
• Nana: Shrub black pine, densely bushy, spherical, 1.50 m tall, beautiful in tubs and in the cemetery.
• GreenTower: cone-shaped black pine up to 2.50 m high, bears cones from an early age.
• Corsican black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio): comes from Corsica, tolerates summer heat particularly well.

FAQ

Is the black pine suitable as a Christmas tree?

The black pine is a popular Christmas tree with our southern European neighbors. The robust tree species is also popular as a Christmas tree in the USA. North of the Alps, the Nordmann fir has so far had the edge as a Christmas tree. In the Christmas lights, the picturesque black pine has been seen more and more frequently in recent years because the needles do not fall until January.

What is the difference between pine and black pine?

The main difference is the needles. In a pine tree, especially the native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), the needles are blue-green, 4-7 cm long and conspicuously twisted. Black pine needles are light to dark green and 8-24 cm long. At 8 cm, classic pine cones are significantly shorter than black pine cones, which are up to 12 cm long. Furthermore, the bark of a pine is grey-yellow, later brown-red to copper-colored. On the trunk of a black pine, the bark is gray-brown and grooved black.

What are the healing effects of black pine oil?

In aromatherapy, spicy-resinous black pine oil is leading. The essential oil relieves respiratory diseases, strengthens the immune system and relaxes cramped muscles. Furthermore, black pine oil is attested to have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory healing effect. Regular rubs help with rheumatism and arthritis. However, the wrong dosage can lead to undesirable side effects such as bronchoplasma and skin inflammation and even ulcers.

What location requirements does the black pine have as a garden bonsai?

When cultivating as a big bonsai, there are no compromises in terms of site requirements. As a garden bonsai, the black pine prefers a sunny to semi-shady location so that it can decoratively display the lush green needles. The conifer proves undemanding when it comes to soil quality. A black pine bonsai likes to stretch out its extensive root system in any normal garden soil.

What is the specific gravity of black pine wood?

The wood of a black pine has a specific weight of around 590 kilograms per cubic meter. This value applies to air-dried wood. Freshly cut black pine wood contains more water and is slightly heavier. After chamber drying at 100°, the value falls below 500 kilograms per cubic meter.