![]() ![]() The tree grows beautifully in almost any soil but prefers well-drained areas with neutral to acidic pH. Many animals and birds use the trees as a home and eat the seeds. Although growing Virginia pine trees in the landscape isn’t common, it is a useful tree when vacant acreage is present. USDA zones 4 to 8 are appropriate for growing Virginia pine trees. This makes the tree a very hardy specimen and worthy of planting to reclaim lumbered acreage. In the wild, Virginia pine grows in un-glaciated soil and rocky outcrops where nutrients are scarce. The pinecones also remain on the tree for years after they have opened and released the seeds. Since the needles remain on the tree for up to three years and are stiff and long, the plant also bears the name spruce pine. The tree is also known as the Jersey pine because New Jersey and southern New York are the northern limits of the tree’s habitat. This pine tree is related to the coniferous group that includes larch, fir, spruce, and hemlock. Virginia pine is also known as scrub pine due to its untidy appearance and scraggly growth. ![]() Their color is yellow-green to dark green. These are arranged in bundles of two and grow up to 3 inches (8 cm.) long. The needles identify the plant as a pine. Cones come in groups of two or four, are 1 to 3 inches (2.5-8 cm.) long and have a sharp prickle at the tip of the scale. At maturity, trees develop disproportionately long limbs and a scraggly silhouette. Most specimens reach between 15 and 40 feet (5-12 m.) in height with low branches and a pyramid shape when young. The Virginia pine is a classic, evergreen conifer. Interestingly, the trees are grown in the south as Christmas trees. They are scrubby plants with little ornamental appeal and become gnarled and bent in advanced years. Virginia pine trees in the landscape are primarily used as barriers, naturalized forests, and inexpensive, slow growing forests. Read on for more Virginia pine tree information and see if this plant is right for your needs. Growing Virginia pine trees has become useful for taking over vacant land, which they colonize for 75 years or so before new tree species become dominant. It is not considered a landscape tree due to its unruly growth and rugged character, but it is an excellent specimen for naturalizing large spaces, re-foresting, and providing habitat and food for animals and birds. The Virginia pine ( Pinus virginiana) is a common sight in North America from Alabama to New York. ![]()
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