The black pine
The Wood Guide · The pine tree
Conifers · tree portraitThe black pine
A pine from the mountains of southern Europe, best known in the Low Countries from the coastal dunes. Dark, sturdy and resistant to wind and salt.
- Pinus nigra
- Dunes and windbreaks
- Long, stiff needles
The black pine in brief
A robust pine with dark, plated bark and long, stiff needles — the pine people chose to tame sand and wind.
The name says it all: the bark is dark grey to almost black, cracked into large plates. The needles are longer and stiffer than those of the Scots pine, and dark green, so from a distance the tree looks sombre and dense.
Its native range lies in southern and eastern Europe, from Austria to Corsica and Calabria. In Belgium and the Netherlands it was planted on a large scale in the coastal dunes and as a windbreak, because it tolerates sea wind and salt better than most other trees.
The black pine comes in several subspecies. The ones you mostly see in north-west Europe are the Austrian pine and the Corsican pine. The latter grows straighter and slimmer, which made it sought after for timber.
- Botanical
- Pinus nigra
- Origin
- Southern and eastern Europe; planted further north
- Height
- usually 20–40 m
- Needles
- in pairs, 8–16 cm, stiff and dark green
- Bark
- dark grey to black, in plates
- Durability
- class 4
To be fair: as a non-native species, the black pine forms dense, dark stands in the dunes where little grows underneath. That is why conservation managers are gradually replacing it with native species in many places.
In pictures · How to recognise a black pine
Schematic drawing.
How to recognise a black pine
Dark bark
Grey to black and cracked into large plates, without the orange upper trunk of the Scots pine.
Long needles
In pairs, 8 to 16 cm long, stiff and dark green — noticeably longer than on the Scots pine.
Dense crown
Young trees are broadly conical; old ones develop a broad, flat-topped crown.
Tough by the sea
Tolerates wind, salt and dry chalky or sandy soil. That is why it is the classic tree for planting on dunes.
The wood of the black pine
Resinous
The wood contains a lot of resin, which gives it a strong smell and a slightly darker, yellowish-brown colour.
Sturdy
Slightly heavier and sturdier than Scots pine, with a coarser grain and often more knots.
Once treated
Naturally only moderately durable, but it takes treatment well for posts and outdoor structures.
Practical use
Construction timber, pallets, posts and packaging. Because of the knots, it rarely makes fine furniture wood.
Most dune forests along the Low Countries' coast are not ancient woodland but plantations from the last century and a half, made to fix drifting sand. The black pine was the workhorse species.
Frequently asked questions about the black pine
Why is it called black pine?
After its dark, almost black bark, which is cracked into large plates.
Is the black pine native?
Not in north-west Europe. It comes from southern and eastern Europe and was planted in the dunes and forests of the Low Countries.
How does it differ from the Scots pine?
The black pine has dark bark without an orange upper trunk, and longer, stiffer needles.
What is black pine wood used for?
Mainly as construction timber, and for posts, pallets and packaging — outdoors too, once pressure-treated.
The black pine in perspective
A tree planted to tame sand and wind, and one that still shapes the silhouette of the coast.
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Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Pinus nigra — Cayambe, CC BY-SA 4.0