Corsican pine (Pinus nigra subsp. laricio): what the forestry bodies record

This page reports what forestry bodies say about one tree. It does not identify trees from descriptions or photos and does not say what should be done with any tree. Each fact names its source, all read on October 9, 2026. Another pine grown in Britain has its own page, Scots pine.

At a glance

Item	What the source records
Scientific name and family	Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire (Forest Research); the Woodland Trust lists black pine, Austrian pine and Corsican pine under one entry, Pinus nigra, family Pinaceae
Origin	Non-native in Britain (Woodland Trust); native to Corsica and Italy (Forest Research)
Forest Research status	A Principal tree species, meaning its silvicultural knowledge gives confidence for deployment across Britain
Needles and cones	For black pine, the Woodland Trust gives needles in pairs, 10 to 15 cm long and very stiff, and cones 5 to 8 cm long with prickled scales and winged seeds
Growth and age	For black pine, the Woodland Trust gives 33 to 61 cm of growth per year and a life of over 500 years

Where it sits among the black pines

Forest Research says Corsican pine is one of several black pine species with distinct ranges across central and southern Europe to Russia, the Balkans and north Africa, and that taxonomic discussion on naming is ongoing. EUFORGEN, the European forest genetic resources programme, says five subspecies of black pine are recognised though there is no consensus and some are sometimes treated as separate species. It places Pinus nigra laricio in Corsica and Sicily and says the Corsican populations are the most differentiated, with a lack of genetic variation likely due to isolation. EUFORGEN calls black pine a fast-growing evergreen conifer, mainly found in mountain areas, resistant to wind and drought and adapted to dry and cold conditions, and says it is not recognised as a threatened species.

Range

Forest Research says Corsican pine is native to Corsica and to Italy, in Sicily on Mount Etna and in the Apennines of Calabria, at 950 to 1,800 m. The Woodland Trust says black pine in the United Kingdom is found in plantations, shelter belts, parks, churchyards and large gardens, and has become naturalised on heaths and sand dunes in some parts, where it can regenerate from seed.

Site and soil

Forest Research describes a light-demanding pioneer species that grows best on acid, freely draining sandy loams. It needs a warm summer climate, tolerates heat and drought and is windfirm, but late spring frost can damage it, so it is best suited to the drier lowlands of Britain, where it gives higher volumes than Scots pine. It grows on most soils except moist or compacted ones, and on chalky soils if they are well drained. It tolerates exposure and pollution and grows on sand dunes if not directly exposed to salt spray. The entry says Austrian pine, Pinus nigra subsp. nigra, tolerates chalk and limestone better but is less vigorous and has poorer form.

Planting history and timber

Forest Research says early plantings pointed to better stem form and branching than the other black pines, possibly the key reason it became the first pine planted at any scale in Britain by the Forestry Commission, from 1919. It says the species remains the dominant commercial pine, but that red-band needle blight has seriously affected its productive potential and few new trees are planted. For forest stands it gives a typical rotation of 50 to 70 years, an average yield class of around 10 to 12 cubic metres per hectare per year, up to 20 on fertile sites, canopy closure by 15 to 20 years, and seed from 25 to 30 years of age, with natural regeneration uncommon. It describes a tap-rooted tree that does not readily self-prune. The Woodland Trust says the timber is hard and straight-grained like Scots pine, used in paper manufacture and general construction, and that in the United Kingdom it is favoured over Scots pine for forestry.

Pests and diseases the sources name

Forest Research says Corsican pine is very susceptible to Dothistroma needle blight, also called red-band needle blight, caused by Dothistroma septosporum, and that it is not recommended for planting because of the impact of this disease. It also names Lophodermella needle disease and shoot dieback caused by Gremmeniella abietina, both widespread and damaging on trees of all ages, especially on colder and more humid sites. It says conifer root and butt rot caused by Heterobasidion annosum can cause occasional death of young trees, and that shoot killing by pine-shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda, can reach significant levels. Its entry carries a link for reporting a suspected case through TreeAlert. EUFORGEN names the European black pine shoot moth, Rhyacionia buoliana, and red band disease as threats to black pine. The Woodland Trust says red band needle blight causes loss of needles. This site has a profile for Dothistroma needle blight.

Text on Forest Research is adapted from its tree species database entry and contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.