(Pinus thunbergii)
Family: Pine family (Pinaceae)
Native Range: Asia, China, Japan
Japanese black pine is a tree native to Japan and China. In the US, it was used ornamentally and can crowd out native species when it escapes garden environments. The trunks of Japanese black pine are often uniquely twisted, making them a popular choice for landscaping and arboretums. They can grow up to 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide, with a flat-topped pyramidal form.
Its needle-like leaves are rounded, or flattened on one side and grow in bunches of two. The cones are longer than they are wide and have woody scales. Japanese black pine is also known for its whitish terminal buds, which stick up like candles from the end of branches. The bark is scaly and reddish-brown to black-gray.
This species is a greater threat to coastal and sandplain forest where it has the potential to displace native species such as pitch pine.
Sources and links:
Harvard University
https://arboretum.harvard.edu/plant-bios/japanese-black-pine/
Native Plant Trust
https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/pinus/thunbergii/
North Carolina State Extension
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pinus-thunbergii/