This pine is an abundant tree found in the East and South United States from New York down to Alabama. Due to its steady growth and lifespan of only 90 years, it's a common and sustainable choice for reforestation projects. Also known as spruce pine, it can be grown in a home garden, but it's more popular as a Christmas tree. Here are other important facts to know about Virginia pine trees.
Difference Between Pine and Maple Trees
While pine is softwood, maple is hardwood. Both pine and maple are commonly used for lumber, but Virginia pine is normally grown and used for other purposes. Its abundance makes it an affordable option for artistic softwood designs, such as use of its dark brown and burgandy bark. While other pines grow taller than a maple tree up to 130 feet, Virginia pines range from 15 to 40 feet.
Virginia Pines Make Good Christmas Trees
These pines have a pyramid shape, which is one of the reasons they're commonly grown for Christmas trees. But you'll need to prune the tree to give it more even symmetry. Its dark green color is another reason why it fits in with the year-end holidays. The needle-like leaves add to the winter ambiance. Since spruce pine can be grown in various types of soil, it's scattered in forests all over America.
These pines provide food for birds, who eat the seeds they find within cones that last on trees for up to five years. These trees grow wild in forests due to pine cones dropping from parent trees as the seeds mix into the soil. If you want to grow a spruce tree, you can pick up cones that have fallen to the ground and remove the seeds.
These trees are easy to grow. The seeds themselves are so plentiful in nature, it's easy to find free pine cones. The best time to collect the cones is late summer or early fall.
