Austrian pine or Scots pine: how to tell them apart?
Austrian pine and Scots pine look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Austrian pine
Pinus nigra subsp. nigra
Scots pine
Pinus sylvestris
Scots pine has distinctly orange bark on the upper third of the trunk, very recognisable, whereas Austrian pine keeps dark, grey to blackish bark over the whole height of the trunk, with longer, rigid needles.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen needles in pairs, rigid, sharp, glossy dark green, 8 to 15 cm long, remaining on the tree for 3 to 5 years
Blue-green needles in pairs, twisted, 4 to 7 cm
🌸 Flowers
Yellowish male cones producing abundant pollen, female cones developing into brown, pointed pine cones
Yellow male cones in clusters, small reddish female cones
🍎 Fruits
Matt brown woody cones, ovoid-conical, 5 to 8 cm long
Brown woody cones, ovoid, hanging, 3 to 7 cm
🪵 Bark
Brownish-black, thick, fissured into angular plates
Pinkish-orange and flaking in the upper trunk, grey and fissured at the base
📏 Size
20 to 40 m tall
20 to 35 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Reforested hillsides, parks, roadside avenues and windbreak hedges throughout France, on all soil types including chalky soils
Heaths, open forests, poor and sandy soils
⚠️ Toxicity
—
No known toxicity
🔎 And from the Scots pine side
Austrian pine keeps dark, grey to blackish bark over the whole height of the trunk and long, rigid needles, whereas Scots pine is recognised by the orange bark of the upper trunk and its shorter, twisted needles.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.