Japanese black pine Pinaceae Pinus
thunbergii Parl.
symbol: PITH2
Leaf: Evergreen needles in fascicles of 2, 3 to 5 inches in length, dark green and stout, persisting 2 to 4 years.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males reddish-yellow, in clusters near branch tips appearing in early spring; females reddish and egg-shaped.
Fruit: Woody egg-shaped cone, 2 to 3 inches long, 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide, light brown in color, unarmed or with a very minute prickle.
Twig: Light brown, glabrous, in later years turning grayish; buds are large, quite prominent and light reddish brown.
Bark: Dark gray, breaking into irregular, rough scaly plates.
Form: Irregular, wind swept form reaching up to 80 feet tall; in the landscape they often resemble a large Bonzai tree.
Looks like: red pine
- Austrian pine
- Japanese red pine