Austrian pine vs Japanese red pine

Austrian pine and Japanese red pine are often considered for the same spot in the garden (specimen). 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 HUF 3,500

Japanese red pine

Pinus densiflora 4 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

Nurseries sell almost only its slow-growing dwarf and small forms: the umbrella-shaped, multi-stemmed Umbraculifera (Tanyosho pine), which makes a…

Large tree

Full sun

from about HUF 12,000

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.
Austrian pine tolerates drought better than Japanese red pine.
Austrian pine needs less water than Japanese red pine.
Austrian pine also takes chalky soil, Japanese red pine prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk.
Austrian pine also takes heavy clay, Japanese red pine needs a loose, free-draining soil.

Which one to choose?

Japanese red 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.

Japanese red pine

The umbrella-shaped, multi-stemmed forms are easily splayed or broken by heavy wet snow and freezing rain, so it is worth shaking deep snow off them, and wind can also damage the weeping and umbrella forms. The needles may take on a yellowish tint in winter, which is not a disease. On heavy, wet soil it dies from root suffocation, and on limy soil it can turn yellow. In Central Europe the shoot blights, needle cast fungi, aphids and spider mites that affect other two-needled pines can appear on it too, mainly on weakened plants in dry, hot summers. Shops sell almost only its dwarf or columnar cultivars, which stay a fraction of the size of the species: check the size of the cultivar you choose before you buy.

The data side by side

Feature	Austrian pine	Japanese red pine
Group	Large tree	Large tree
Size after 10 years	4.5 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)	4 m × 2.5 m
Ultimate size	12–25 m × 6–12 m	12–18 m × 6–10 m
Growth rate	Medium	Medium
Light	Full sun	Full sun
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High	Medium (uncertain)
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Water need	Low	Medium
Drought tolerance	High	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planting distance	600 cm	600 cm
For children	no data	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	about HUF 3,500 (< 40 cm)	approx. HUF 15,000

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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