This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Pinus nigra subsp. laricio (Poir.) Maire

A majestic specimen of Corsican pine grows in the heart of Bosco di Ragabo, in Pernicana, about 4 miles from Linguaglossa (CT). The tree can be found inside the “protection zone B” of the Etna Park; it is 82-ft tall, with a 20.3-ft wide circumference (already measuring 16.4 at 4.2 ft from the ground). The crown is about 52.5 x 65.6-ft wide, while this impressive tree is some 200 years old.
Its phytosanitary conditions are quite poor.

Botanical sheet

The Corsican pine, belonging to the Pinaceae family, is a subspecies of the Pinus nigra, widespread in Corsica, Sicily and Calabria, at altitudes between 2.624 and 6.561 ft. The latter region features its greatest concentration.

The Corsican pine has a slender bearing than the Austrian pine and, on average, it grows up to 115 ft (it can even exceed 131 – 164 ft); its needles appear dark green, even about 4-inch long. The wood is of excellent quality and, in the past centuries, it was massively used in the shipyards.

The trunk usually produces a large amount of resin, which is used for insulation.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)