A tall leggy Austrian: Austrian Pine

This lovely property has several very tall evergreens and among them is the tallest Austrian Pine (pinus nigra) I've seen in a long time.

*This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk*

A native of southern Europe, he's easy to spot because his bark is platey and sort of polka dotted. The trunk is quite leggy and the branches are only at the very top of the tree which was probably caused by various fungal diseases that affect Austrian Pine and kill the lowest branches over time. Most Austrian Pines in the landscape need to be sprayed regularly to prevent these diseases. In the past, Austrian Pines were planted massively along our freeways because they were thought to be so hardy. Unfortunately, this proved not to be the case. But at least we have this beauty in Northville. The tree reminds me of the famous Roman Pines of Rome.