Wood: The
wood is knotty and not suitable for commercial use, although some reports
suggest the contrary.
Wildlife: Birds, squirrels and chipmunks eat the seeds; deer, porcupines and rodents feed on the saplings; and the needles can provide evergreen cover and nesting materials for various wildlife species.
Horticulture: The Austrian pine is an adaptable species grown extensively as an ornamental in the US. The attractive bark; stout, whorled branches; and picturesque habit make this a good tree for specimen planting alone or in groups, but planting in Iowa is cautioned because of recent deaths of many trees. The Corsican pine (Pinus nigra var. calabrica), from southern Europe, has lighter colored leaves and grows to 150 feet tall. The Cevennes pine (Pinus nigra var. cabennensis), from the Pyrenees, grows to 60 feet tall, has a looser habit and orange-colored branches.
