Austrian Pine                PI-nus NI-gra, NIG-ra

• Conifer, evergreen tree, 50-60(100) ft [15-18(30) m], densely pyramidal when young, becoming a large flat-topped tree with a short, straight trunk and stout spreading branches.  Bark light gray to dark brown, darker than P. ponderosa.  Buds ovate to cylindrical, resinous. Needles in pairs, persist 4-8 years, 8-12 cm long, stiff, point sharp to touch, bundle sheath 13 mm long, 12-14 stomatal lies on each surface.  Cones grouped 2-4, ovoid, conical, 4-8 cm long, light brown.
• Sun.  Prefers moist soil with good drainage, but adaptable.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4     Pinus nigra has a very discontinuous range, it is found in southern Europe (from the Pyrenees Peninsula to Sicily, Greece and Bulgaria), northwest Africa (Algeria and Morocco) and Asia Minor.  There are several subspecies and varieties.
• A number of selections are offered, including forms that are
  • upright  -  e.g., ‘Arnond Sentinal’, ‘Obelisk’
  • compact or dwarf  -  e.g.,‘Black Prince’, ‘Compacta’, ‘Hornibrookiana’, ‘Nana’, ‘Oregon Green’
  • variegated  -  e.g., ‘Aurea’, ‘Stanley Gold’
  • golden-yellow in winter  -  e.g., ‘Moseri’
• Oregon State Univ. campus: north of Nash Hall.