[5] It is called gomsol (곰솔) in Korean, hēisōng (黑松) in Chinese, and kuromatsu (黒松) in Japanese.

Black pines can reach the height of 40 metres (130 feet), but rarely achieves this size outside its natural range.

[6] In North America this tree is subject to widespread mortality by the native American pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, spread by means of beetle vectors.

Subsequently, blue stain fungus invades the plant, leading to a rapid decline and death.

[citation needed] One characteristic of the Japanese black pine that makes it desirable for bonsai, is the possibility of inducing a second flush of new growth and improved ramification in a single growing season.