Austrian pine vs Scots pine

Austrian pine and Scots pine are often considered for the same spot in the garden (specimen, screening). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Austrian pine

Pinus nigra 4.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

Austrian pine is a large evergreen with stiff, dark green needles, conical when young and broad and umbrella-shaped with age, and it copes well with…

Large tree

Full sun

from about PLN 3.20

Scots pine

Pinus sylvestris 4.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

A fast-growing native pine that starts out conical and later forms a loose, umbrella-like crown, with striking orange-red bark on the upper trunk…

Large tree

Full sun

from about PLN 6

Key differences

Austrian pine: We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. In Central Europe it has been dying on a large scale in recent years: trees weakened by drought are attacked by Diplodia (Sphaeropsis) tip blight, which browns the new shoots and then whole branches and can kill the tree within a few years.
Scots pine grows faster than Austrian pine.
Austrian pine copes better with summer heat than Scots pine.
Austrian pine tolerates drought better than Scots pine.
Austrian pine needs less water than Scots pine.
Scots pine needs less care than Austrian pine.

Which one to choose?

Scots pine is the safer choice: we do not recommend planting Austrian pine in most gardens.

Watch out for

Austrian pine

In Central Europe it has been dying on a large scale in recent years: trees weakened by drought are attacked by Diplodia (Sphaeropsis) tip blight, which browns the new shoots and then whole branches and can kill the tree within a few years. Dothistroma red band needle blight also strips the lower branches. Only a small fraction of planted stands is still healthy and treatment in a garden is hardly feasible, so new planting is not recommended. It is not native here, and stands planted on dolomite slopes and sand are a conservation problem, so do not plant it near protected grasslands.

Scots pine

In the hot, drought-prone lowlands of Central Europe Scots pine lives at the edge of its tolerance: in Hungarian forests only about a quarter of the stands are still healthy. That is far better than black pine, of which hardly any healthy stands remain, but the trend is the same. Drought-weakened trees are attacked by Diplodia tip blight (Diplodia sapinea): needles at the shoot tips turn brown and hang on for a long time, repeatedly infected branches go bare and the tree can die. The fungus does more damage as summers get warmer and drier and is hitting Scots pine more and more often. Sawflies and scale insects also occur, and it copes badly with heavily polluted air. In a cooler, wetter, hilly location on well-drained soil, and watered in droughts, it is still a reasonable choice; in a hot, dry lowland garden it is a long-term risk.

The data side by side

Feature	Austrian pine	Scots pine
Group	Large tree	Large tree
Size after 10 years	4.5 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)	4.5 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	12–25 m × 6–12 m	10–30 m × 9–15 m
Growth rate	Medium	Fast
Light	Full sun	Full sun
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic, Calcareous, Clay
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High	Low
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Water need	Low	Medium
Drought tolerance	High	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Low
Planting distance	600 cm	600 cm
For children	no data	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about PLN 3.80 (< 40 cm)	about PLN 6 (< 40 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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