Pinus nigra 'Frank' - Frank Austrian Pine

A beautiful, tight evergreen with a columnar habit; dwarf and slow growing, with long thin needles; a wonderful accent plant for borders or framing walkways, makes an impressive green focal point in the winter months

Height: 8 feet. Spread: 24 inches. Sun: full sun. Hardiness zone: 4a.

Ornamental features

Frank's Austrian Pine is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its rigidly columnar form. It has rich green evergreen foliage. The needles remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape

Frank's Austrian Pine is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Recommended for: Mass Planting, General Garden Use.

Planting and growing

Frank's Austrian Pine will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.