Back Dune/ Japanese Black Pine

COMMON NAME: Japanese Black Pine

OTHER COMMON NAME(S): Japanese Beach Pine

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pinus thunbergii

FAMILY: Pinaceae

COMMUNITY: Secondary Dune

STATUS: Naturalized from Japan

LIFESPAN: Woody tree

HEIGHT: 20 to 40 feet

FLOWERING TIME:

FRUITING TIME: Cones

DISTRIBUTION: Coastal in New Jersey

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Needles dark green, in fascicles of two, twisted, densely crowded, 1 ½ to 4 ½ inches long, fine point, persist 3-5 years ~ Twigs in first year light brown later becoming blackish gray, terminal bud oval, ½ to ¾ inch long, not resinous, gray or silver white ~ Flower monoecious (both male and female on same individual), male borne at base of new growth, female along new growth ~ Cone (fruit) solitary or clustered, short stalk, ovoid to conical, symmetrical 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ inches wide, light brown, not prickly ~ Bark blackish gray, becoming fissured into elongated irregular plates.

GENERAL INFORMATION: This family (Pinaceae) commonly called the Pine Family consists of large trees including pines, larches, spruces, hemlocks, firs and Douglas-firs. The family includes species in northern temperate and tropical mountain regions. Pine trees grow in the northern hemisphere in all kinds of environments and represent the world’s most important source of timber. The trees are resinous, evergreen with straight axis and narrow crown, usually with soft lightweight wood.  Pines generally grow tall and straight, making them ideally suited for use as lumber.  There are approximately 100 species of pines in the world; 65 species grow in the North America, 36 are native to the United States and 5 species are native to New Jersey. This species, thunbergii, is named for Carl Peter Thunberg,  He was a native of Sweden and author of the book “Flora Japonica”. Japanese Black Pine is tolerant of salt spray.  It is used for landscaping and as a means of stabilizing sand dunes and beaches.  The tree is useful along highways, where it withstands road salt.  Japanese Blank Pine suffers from several major insects and disease problems.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.