Pinus NIGRA

Pinus NIGRA - European black pine, Austrian pine, Black pine.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Among the numerous representatives of the pine genus, which numbers about 130 species, there are majestic pines familiar to everyone - Scots pine and Swiss pine - as well as still little-known dwarf forms with creeping or cushion-shaped crowns.

Pines are plants with strictly whorled branching and shoots of two types - elongated and shortened. Needles are located only on shortened shoots. By the number of needles on a shortened shoot, pines are divided into two-needle, three-needle, and five-needle species.

Black pine, also known as Austrian black pine, is a coniferous tree native to the mountains of the northern Mediterranean. Like other pines, it is a sun-loving plant and grows best in sunny spots. In youth it has a pyramidal crown, in adulthood - an umbrella-shaped crown. A striking difference from Scots pine is its blackish-gray bark. The needles are up to 14 cm (5.5 in) long, dark green, in bundles of two. The cones are medium-sized, up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in length and about 3 cm (1.2 in) in width.

It withstands strong winds and is drought-resistant. In its natural range it reaches a height of 50 m (164 ft) and an age of up to 700 years. Thanks to high tolerance in urban conditions, it has gained popularity as an ornamental. It withstands frosts down to -26 °C (-15 °F).

Seeds are stratified for 30 days in a cold environment at a temperature of 4-5 °C (39-41 °F). In home conditions, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator.

Before planting, seeds are soaked in hot water for 24 hours and for 2 hours in any growth stimulant, then sown to a depth of about 7 mm (0.3 in) and sprinkled with a layer of soil. They are moistened with a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in the light at a temperature of 18-22 °C (64-72 °F). Seedlings need ventilation. Excessive moisture and drying out of the sowings must be avoided. Seeds can germinate from 3 weeks to 2 months.

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Pine is a light-demanding plant. Regarding soil, there are no special requirements; it grows excellently even on dry, freely draining soils. It tolerates drought and polluted air well and is frost-hardy. The primary species is propagated by sowing seeds, the rest by grafting or layering. It does not stand out with particular ornamental effect, but is well suited for organizing the space of small gardens. It has a large number of decorative forms that are widely used in landscaping.