Pinus thunbergii ‘Kotobuki’ is a narrow upright selection of Japanese Black pine with short irregular branching and shorter-than-typical, extremely prickly, dark, gray-green needles. After 10 years of growth, an unpruned mature specimen will measure 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide, an annual growth rate of 4 to 6 inches. As is true with all Japanese pines, ‘Kotobuki’ is easily maintained through employing candle pruning and aesthetic pruning technique