Pinus nigra is a cultivated species in Wisconsin. It does not escape from cultivation and is found only where it has been planted. It is included in the list of gymnosperms because it is a very common horticultural species in Wisconsin and because it (along with Picea pungens, Pseudotsuga menziesii and Taxus cuspidata) is a useful addition to the small list of native species of gymnosperms, for teaching purposes.

The needles of Pinus nigra are generally longer than 10 cm in fascicles of two. Dried specimens can be difficult to distinguish from P. resinosa, but it is strictly a horticultural tree of yards and streets and P. resinosa is seldom used for such purposes. In healthy mature trees the bark of P. nigra is darker and less likely to form the smooth plates of P. resinosa. Fresh leaves of Pinus resinosa break cleanly when bent double, but those of P. nigra bend without fully breaking. The cones are similar for P. nigra and P. resinosa, and in both species there is a dramatic difference in appearance between unopened and opened cones.