ENH640

Pinus virginiana: Virginia Pine1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2

Introduction on older trees, and is often seen due to the open branching habit. This scrubby North American native tree is most often found growing in the poorest sites and will easily adapt to most soil conditions, except alkaline soils. Capable of reach- General Information ing up to 70 feet in height, Virginia Pine is more often seen Scientific name:Pinus virginiana from 20 to 40 feet in height with a 20 to 35-foot spread. Pronunciation: PIE-nus ver-jin-ee-AY-nuh The yellowish-green, 1.5 to 3-inch-long, flexible, evergreen Common name(s): Virginia Pine, Scrub Pine needles are joined by the numerous, mature, prickly cones. Family: Pinaceae The thin, orange/brown bark becomes ridged and furrowed USDA hardiness zones: 5A through 8B (Fig. 2) Origin: native to North America Invasive potential: weedy native Uses: specimen; reclamation; Bonsai; highway median; Christmas tree Availability: not native to North America

Figure 2. Range

Figure 1. Middle-aged Pinus virginiana: Virginia Pine Credits: Ed Gilman

1. This document is ENH640, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2006. Reviewed February 2014. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, former associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Description Culture Height: 20 to 40 feet Light requirement: full sun Spread: 20 to 35 feet Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; acidic; well-drained Crown uniformity: irregular Drought tolerance: high Crown shape: round Aerosol salt tolerance: low Crown density: open Growth rate: moderate Other Texture: fine Roots: not a problem Winter interest: no Foliage Outstanding tree: no Leaf arrangement: spiral (Fig. 3) Ozone sensitivity: sensitive Leaf type: simple Verticillium wilt susceptibility: resistant Leaf margin: entire Pest resistance: resistant to pests/diseases Leaf shape: needle-like (filiform) Leaf venation: parallel Use and Management Leaf type and persistence: fragrant, evergreen, needled Although considered to have an untidy appearance because evergreen of an irregular habit, the very low branches which stay Leaf blade length: less than 2 inches, 2 to 4 inches on the tree help make Virginia Pine a popular choice Leaf color: green in the South for culture as a Christmas tree. The trees Fall color: no color change grow moderately fast in cultivation and have a branching Fall characteristic: not showy structure which tolerates pruning quite well. Pruning or shearing increases branchiness to create a nice Christmas tree. Can also be used for an open-branched specimen in a large-scale landscape.

Tolerant of a wide variety of soil types, Virginia Pine Figure 3. Foliage prefers to be grown in full sun on well-drained, loamy soil. It grows on soil too dry, rocky or clayey for most other Flower plants, particularly Pines, but prefers acidic pH. It is useful Flower color: yellow as a reclamation tree due to the ability to seed itself in and Flower characteristics: not showy tolerance to poor, dry soil.

Fruit Propagation is by seed. Fruit shape: oval, cone Pests Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches Fruit covering: dry or hard No pests are normally serious to this pine in the landscape, Fruit color: brown although the list of possible problems is long. Fruit characteristics: attracts squirrels/mammals; showy; fruit/leaves a litter problem Diseases No diseases are normally serious to this pine in the land- Trunk and Branches scape, although the list of possible problems is long. Trunk/bark/branches: branches droop; not showy; typi- cally one trunk; thorns Pruning requirement: little required Breakage: susceptible to breakage Current year twig color: reddish Current year twig thickness: thin Wood specific gravity:0.48

Pinus virginiana: Virginia Pine 2