Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Oostenrijkse den, Austrian pine, österreichische Schwarzkiefer

Family: Pinaceae (Pine familiy)

Synonym: Pinus nigra var. austriaca

Distribution: SE Europe

Life form: Conifer

Comments: The Austrian pine originates from Austria, Central Italy, the Balkans and Anatolia, and still occurs there in vast pine forests in the wild. This pine tree was planted in the Hortus in the 19th century. It is one of the most beautiful trees in the Hortus and that is mainly due to the broad crown. The bare brown twigs and the bright brown buds contain a lot of sticky resin. The Austrian pine can grow up to 50 meters high. The needles of the Austrian pine are arranged in bundles of 2. The needles are stiff, thick, dark green and can grow up to 16 cm. The cones of this pine are ovoid and pointed. They become 5 - 8 cm long and hang on the branches.