Austrian Pine

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. Pruning time: spring.

A very resilient Pine for the poor soils or alkaline conditions in the Midwest and far West. It is remarkably tolerant of hot and cold wind and is a crucial component in shelterbelts and windbreaks. Adapts well to dry conditions in the West, both in semidesert and mountain foothill regions where soils are thin and poor. Makes a very graceful single specimen for front yards, parks or expansive estate-sized landscapes.

This pine is native to an enormous range of Europe and western Asia where it attains a height of about 100 feet. It came into cultivation on the continent in 1759 and classified by Austrian botanist Johann Arnold who published it in his work on the flora in 1785. It did not reach Britain or the United States until 1835. However, over the years the Austrian pine has been given a number of different species by botanists various nationalities of 19th century Europe such as P. Laricio by Jean Poiret of France; P. austricaca by Franz Hoess of Austria, P. nigra var austriaca, Paul Ascherson, professor of botany in Berlin; and P. nigricans by the botanist and physician Nicholas Host. There are two subspecies or varieties, P. nigra var austriaca and P. n. 'Pyramidalis'.