Virginia Pine Tree

The Virginia Pine Tree is a stately pine with the good looks of a Christmas tree and minimal care requirements. Green needles are a few inches long and grow in clusters. The Pinus virginiana has a wide, open, pyramid-like form when young. The tree develops an open, flat-topped, horizontal form with age. Mature trees produce 1 to 3-inch-long cones. Cones take two years to grow and drop from the tree in the fall. This is a slow-growing tree, but it will stand 40 to 80 feet tall and 10 to 30 feet wide with time. The trunk can expand up to 14 inches in diameter at maturity.

Plant the Virginia Pine Tree as an ornamental specimen or to complement a woodland area. This evergreen provides consistent color and texture in a landscape. The tree is deer resistant, but the cones provide seeds for birds and other small animals. The Virginia Pine Tree is native to the eastern U.S. and thrives with little care once acclimated.

Virginia Pine Tree Care

The Virginia Pine is adaptable but thrives in full sun with well-drained, loamy, acidic soil. It tolerates poor soil and is useful for soil erosion control. Young trees need consistent water, while established trees only need water during a dry period. Fertilize in early spring with a slow-release formula to encourage new growth.

Prune the tree in later winter or early spring. Young trees can be pruned to have a classic Christmas tree shape. Trim the higher branches to maintain the pyramidal shape and expose the lower branches to more light.

Virginia Pine Tree Spacing

Plant Virginia Pine Trees 20 to 25 feet apart to create a stand. Leave 30 between the tree and a building or road. Choose a planting location free from overhead obstructions.

Virginia Pine Tree Information