Pinus nigra Arnold European Black Pine Pinaceae Pine family David F. Van Haverbeke European black pine (Pinus nigru), also called Austrian pine, was one of the early tree introductions into the United States, first reported in cultivation in 1759 (52). Black pine was one of the first conifers tested for adaptability in the Sandhills of Nebraska in the 1891 Bruner plantation, Holt County, and in 1909 on the Nebraska National Forest. It was also planted by homesteaders on the Great Plains in the early 1900’s to provide beauty and protection from wind and snow on the treeless prairies (fig. 1). The most common seed sources of European black pine introduced into the United States have been from Austria and the Balkans (69). Sources from other parts of the natural range are relatively scarce in this country, except in a few arboreta. The best of these, however, grow as much as 50 percent faster than the typical Austrian sources. Today, European black pine is one of the most common introduced ornamentals in the United States. Habitat Range European black pine is native to Europe. Its range extends from longitude 5” W. in Spain and Morocco to about 40” E. in eastern Turkey; and from latitude Figure l-European black pine, an 18th century introduction into 35” N. in Morocco and Cyprus to 48” N. in north- the northeastern United States. eastern Austria and to 45” N. latitude in the Crimea, U.S.S.R. (II). Black pine grows widely throughout southern Europe from the eastern half of Spain, The ecotypic variation in wide-ranging species southern France, and Italy to Austria; south through- such as F! nigru normally includes sufficient mor- out Yugoslavia, western Romania, Bulgaria, and phological variation that taxonomists have recog- Greece on the Balkan Peninsula; east to southern nized many nomenclaturally distinct species, sub- Russia in the Crimea and south to Turkey; and on species, or varieties to describe this variation. In this the islands of Cyprus, Sicily, and Corsica, with out- paper, for simplicity, the species are referred to by liers in Algeria and Morocco (40). geographic origin, for example, European black pine Black pine is hardy in southern Ontario and New or black pine from Austria, the Balkans, or Corsica, England, the North Central United States, and in rather than by subspecies or varietal names. For parts of the West; and, along with Scotch pine (Pinus synonymy see the Genetics section. syluestris), Japanese black pine (I? thunbergii), and Japanese red pine (I? densiflora), it is reported to Climate have become naturalized in parts of New England and the Lake States (72). Its escape from cultivation locally in the northeast, and west to Missouri, is In parts of its native European habitat, black pine acknowledged, but it is not generally recognized as grows in a cool to cold temperate climate (23). The having become naturalized (36). northern varieties are very frost-hardy, withstanding temperatures of -30” C (-22” F), and the southern varieties tolerate -7” C (19” F) temperatures. Annual The author is Research Forester (retired), Rocky Mountain Forest precipitation varies from 610 to 1020 mm (24 to 40 and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. in>. The species has been shown to carry on photosynthesis at -5” C (23” F), with respiration still in the southern part of the area formerly planted to detectable at -19” C (-2” F) (21). Black pine red pine (Pinus resinosa) (69). There is evidence, withstands the weight of ice well and is considered however, that black pine is not a good choice to hardy except in the coldest, hottest, and driest replace red pine on many northeastern sites (42). regions. After 21 growing seasons, black pine averaged about In the United States, black pine is mainly suited 2.1 m (7 R) shorter and 3.2 cm (1.25 in) less in d.b.h. to Climatic Zone IV, which includes most of Nova on several New York soil types. Scotia, southern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, In the Great Plains region, European black pine is New York, southern Ontario, Michigan, northern In- not a demanding species and is being planted on soils diana, northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, northern of the orders Aridisols, Entisols, Mollisols, and Ver- Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, tisols. More specifically it grows well throughout a Montana, southwestern Alberta, and central British broad range of soils including sandy loams, silty Columbia (52). It has either failed or has performed clays, and calcareous soils. It is about as adaptable poorly in the southern states of Oklahoma, Texas, to most Great Plains windbreak and shelterbelt sites North Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, and as ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), although on the Arkansas. very poor sites it suffers considerable mortality. Once established, however, the rate of height growth is Soils and Topography good, and density and form of the crown are superior to ponderosa pine (50). Survival, height, vigor, and crown development throughout the Great Plains European black pine is adapted to many soil types region are best in deep, permeable, well-drained, and and topographic habitats. In its native range the mostly sandy loams along river lowlands and stream species commonly is separated into three geographic valleys where the water table is 6.1 m (20 ft) or less groupings: western, central, and eastern. Sources below the surface; they are poorest on shallow, sandy, from southern France and Spain, the western group, or silty soils underlain by claypan or gravel. often are indifferent to soil type; sources from Cor- After early success in the turn of the century sica, Italy, and Sicily, the central group, grow poorly on limestone soils; while sources from the Balkans plantings in the Nebraska Sandhills, black pine was and the Crimea, U.S.S.R., the eastern group, appear not considered as desirable for extensive plantings as to do well on the poorer limestone soils (31). Black eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), jack pine pine also grows well on podzolic soils (8). (Pinus banksiana), or ponderosa pine. In Iowa, black pine was reported to be tolerant of high-lime soils, In England, Austrian material does well as a shel- where survival and growth were best on western and terbelt tree in exposed situations near the sea on northern exposures light, dry, shallow soils, sands, chalks, and limestone. (19). It is less well-suited than Corsican strains in infer- tile, “stiff,” or wet soils (6). Associated Forest Cover Although European black pine often is found on poor, calcareous, sandy, and even pure limestone European black pine in its many forms grows soils, it requires a deep soil. On good sites, Italian, naturally throughout the Mediterranean region in Sicilian, and Corsican strains are fast growing (up to association with Scotch pine, Swiss mountain pine 40 m or 131 ft tall) and straight (23,40). (Pinus mugo), Aleppo pine (P halepensis), Italian In Europe, black pine is found at elevations rang- stone pine (P. pinea), and Heldreich pine (P. ing from 250 to 1800 m (820 to 5,910 ft). In Austria, heldreichii) (11,40,69). Other pine species that share it is found on poor dolomite and limestone sites from the same geographic range or portions of it with 260 to 500 m (850 to 1,640 ft) and on good soils from European black pine include Swiss stone pine (P 300 to 700 m (980 to 2,300 ft); at about 610 m (2,000 cembra), Balkan pine (I? peuce), maritime pine (P. ft) in the Dinaric Alps of the Balkans; at 1200 m pinaster), and I? brutia and its variant I? pithyusa (3,940 ft) in the Sierra de Segura of southeastern (11). In England some naturally regenerating Spain; and from 900 to 1800 m (2,950 to 5,910 ft) on European black pines, from principally Corsican Corsica (40). sources, are associated with birch (Betula pendula), In the United States the major experience with willows (Salix caprea and S. cinerea), and oak (Quer- European black pine has been with Austrian sources. cus robur) on the sand dunes, saltmarshes, and in- Most planting stock is provided by private nurseries, tertidal sand and mudflats of the north Norfolk coast and several million trees are produced annually in (27). the Northeastern States. The species has been espe- In the United States, European black pine is as- cially successful in the Northeast on soils of high pH sociated with numerous species consequent to its use 396 Pinus nigra in landscape and environmental plantings. Its ap- membranous wing 19 mm (0.75 in) long (49). Two parent tendency to escape, possibly to naturalize, winged seeds are produced on the upper surface of and to hybridize with certain other pines may, in each scale of the cone except for those at the tip and time, result in some natural species associations in base. this country. Seeds are extracted from harvested cones by air- drying for 3 to 10 days or kiln-drying at 46” C (115” F) for 24 hours. Sound seeds are separated from Life History empty seeds by flotation in 95 percent ethanol (31). The number of sound seeds per cone in Austrian Reproduction and Early Growth black pine ranges from 30 to 40, of which 15 to 20 are germinable (67). Flowering and Fruiting-European black pine is monoecious, with staminate (microsporangiate) Cleaned seeds average 57,300 per kilogram and ovulate (megasporangiate) strobili borne (26,00O/lb) with a range from 30,900 to 86,OOO/kg separately on the same tree (67). Staminate strobili, (14,000 to 39,00O/lb). Seeds from the Crimea, Turkey, clustered at the base of new shoots, mostly on older and Cyprus tend to be the largest, ranging from lateral branches in the lower crown, are cylindrical, 38,600 to 45,9OO/kg (17,500 to 20,80O/lb), and those short-stalked, bright yellow, about 2 cm (0.8 in) long from Corsica the smallest, ranging from 61,700 to with numerous scales, and contain pollen in great 79,4OO/kg (28,000 to 36,00O/lb) (31,67).