Young Virginia pines have smooth bark that, with age, becomes red and scaly until it takes on a shaggy and grayish-brown color at maturity. Virginia pine is pyramidal in shape, but it gradually loses that form with maturity, becoming scrubby and rounded, which is why it’s nicknamed “scrub pine.” Its needles are short, twisted, and come in fascicles, the botanical term for a bundle of leaves. Its seeded cones are seen throughout the tree and can stay on the tree for five years before dropping. As the Virginia pine reaches maturity, the top of the tree often flattens out, and it loses the typical pine shape that people find so appealing. Saplings can be successfully planted in the spring, with an expected growth rate of 1 to 2 feet per year. If you do have a large space that needs filling, the ideal way to grow a Virginia pine is to buy numerous seedlings or saplings and plant them roughly 20 to 25 feet apart to create a dense stand. Whether planting a stand or a single tree, it is recommended that the Virginia pine be staked and secured, so it is not affected by strong wind or weather until it establishes itself. Once firmly rooted and established, the stakes should be removed, as staked trees become weaker over time.
Light
The Virginia pine is best served by being placed in an area with full or partial sun.
Soil
While adaptable to almost any soil condition except wet soil, the Virginia pine thrives in well-draining, loamy, sandy soil with a neutral to low pH. The tree is known for growing in particularly inhospitable soils.
Water
Ensuring the tree is well watered while it is being established is essential. However, after the tree has established itself, watering is not needed besides what is provided by rain.
Temperature and Humidity
A very hardy and adaptable tree, the Virginia pine will thrive in a wide range of temperatures and humid climate.
Fertilizer
There is no need to fertilize the Virginia pine. It will grow well in even the poorest of soil.
Types of Virginia Pine Tree
The only known cultivar is ‘Wates Golden’, a tree with an irregular growth habit and golden yellow needles in the winter.
Pruning
Many homeowners like to have a Virginia pine tree pruned into the tidier shape of a Christmas tree, especially because they will become scraggly in appearance when they mature. Limb damage is still common in pruned mature Virginia pines, however. The shaping process needs to be done yearly to keep up the tree’s appearance. Shaping requires numerous bouts of pruning and shearing during its many annual growth flushes to control the shape, height, and width of the tree. It may be best left to a professional who knows the correct timing to prune and shear a Virginia pine tree into shape.
Propagating Virginia Pine Trees
Propagating a Virginia pine tree should be done from cuttings taken between fall and winter before the new spring growth. You’ll need patience, however, because rooting a Virginia pine can take at least a year to root properly.
How to Grow Virginia Pine Trees From Seed
Propagation from seeds is not recommended because by the time you find a flush of fallen pinecones, they have likely dried out and released their seeds. The tree might reseeds itself from cones.
Potting and Repotting
Virginia pine tree is a large tree that is not suitable for container growing.
Overwintering
As a native tree, Virginia pine is very hardy and does not need any winter protection.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Despite it being a native tree, Virginia pine can have a wide range of pest and disease problems. It can be attacked by pinewood nematodes, sawflies, pine beetles, and weevils. The tree can also develop Diplodia tip blight, heart rot, and pitch canker, all of which may need professional intervention to stop the infection of adjacent trees. Sometimes applying fungicides in the spring or pruning infected branches and twigs during dry weather can prevent the spread of the disease.
Common Problems
The shape and size, combined with the tree’s notoriously weak wood that breaks with ease in windy conditions, means it is a poor choice for most ornamental landscape uses, and it is not often chosen for that purpose.
