JBCLM | 2010-2026
26. Corsican pine forest
The black pine is one of the longest-living pines in our country.
The laricio pine, black pine, or salgareño (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii) thrives in cold, continental environments on calcareous-dolomitic soils in the western Mediterranean basin. In the Iberian Peninsula, it forms natural forests on Mediterranean mountain slopes. In Castilla-La Mancha, it is more abundant in the eastern half: Serranía de Cuenca, Alto Tajo, and Sierra de Alcaraz. Its bark, which becomes silvery with age, is thick, providing protection against frequent surface wildfires in high mountain Mediterranean forests. This long-lived species can reach up to 1,000 years, and mature trees often develop a characteristic candelabra shape, with remarkable examples in the Sierra de los Palancares (Cuenca) and the slopes of Calar del Mundo (Riópar and Yeste).
The Botanical Garden’s recreation of these pine forests includes typical mountain understory shrubs that require some moisture and coolness, such as boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum), privet (Ligustrum vulgare), Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia), Saint Lucie cherry (Prunus mahaleb), and alpine buckthorn (Rhamnus alpina).
