This coniferous tree has irregular horizontal branches and rugged purplish grey bark and forms a conical to rounded habit. It has bright green thick needle-like leaves and the purplish female flowers appear during spring followed by cones. 

Hardiness zones 5 to 9 

Pinus thunbergii is naturally found in Japan growing in forests and is a valuable timber tree and a source of resin. It prefers a well-drained moderately fertile soil in an open sunny position and is drought tender but frost tolerant. 

The Japanese Black Pine is grown for its attractive growth habit and is used in parks and gardens as a lawn specimen or windbreak and for sand stabilizing. It is suitable for mountain or coastal regions and it establishes in 3 to 5 years but under cultivation it only reaches half its mature height. It is also commonly used as a bonsai subject or as a pruned feature tree to shape in Japanese gardens with its twisted branches and platy bark. ID 1697

Pinus (PY-nus) thunbergii (thun-BERG-ee-eye)

Pinaceae (py-NAY-see-ee)
Larches, spruces, pines, firs, hemlocks and cedars