The Virginia Pine’s Holiday Magic: A Native Tree Perfect for Nashville Homes
A beloved southern evergreen, the Virginia pine is one of the top choices for Christmas trees in Tennessee! This is in addition to being a hardy and resilient member of the tree canopy. Here, we'll take a look at how Virginia pines contribute to the local ecosystem year-round, then we’ll highlight the cheerful role of this particular species in Nashville's holiday season.
The Virginia Pine
The Virginia pine is native to the southeastern US, providing the landscape with winter foliage when many other trees are bare. Although these trees naturally grow tall with a loose, open form and a high crown, they have a characteristic pyramidal evergreen shape while young (which can be maintained longer with regular pruning; more on that later!).
Virginia pine trees have a brown-to-orange bark with shallow furrows and rectangular ridges. Their cones have sharp thorns on the scales and they stay on the branches for several years before falling off (a distinctive trait of this species). The pine’s needles also grow characteristically: in clusters of two, with each needle having a twisting form.
These medium-sized canopy trees can reach about 70 feet tall in maturity. They grow naturally in hilly upland areas, on well-drained, sloping land. Virginia pines are sun-loving trees: great for planting in depleted soil due to their adaptations, making them ideal for restoration sites.
Drought tolerance also means a Virginia pine can withstand the heat and dryness of urban areas. Its slender shape and naturally high crown allow this type of tree to fit in tighter spaces than other trees with a wider frame, which can be a useful trait in cities.
Virginia Pines in the Nashville Ecosystem
Virginia pines offer the range of ecosystem services that trees do, including air purification, soil stabilization, and water management, throughout the year. As an evergreen, this tree offers lots of support to wildlife, especially in the fall and winter when other trees have gone dormant.
Although it’s not a flowering tree, this species hosts various types of butterfly and moth caterpillars that feed on the pine needles. Lizards often live in the open, sunny forest floors created by Virginia pines. Squirrels feed on pine seeds and use the trees for cover, while white-tailed deer browse saplings and use pine stands for winter shelter.
Many birds utilize these trees for food and shelter as well: woodpeckers, sparrows, and nuthatches can be found in Virginia pines in every season. Most pine-loving warblers migrate for winter, but the yellow-rumped warbler sticks around Tennessee for the coldest months.
Does Virginia Pine Make a Good Christmas Tree?
The Virginia pine’s dense immature foliage, pleasant fragrance, sturdy branches, and long-lasting needles create an attractive southern Christmas tree. Since a Virginia pine grows tall and thin naturally, each specimen must be trimmed multiple times per year to maintain a pyramidal shape for holiday presentation.
When a Virginia pine is pruned from an early age, it can be guided to grow into a bushy Christmas tree of the right height and width. Christmas tree farms use this technique to ensure a steady supply of attractive Virginia pines for the holiday season.
Some people keep the Virginia pine(s) in their yards in this full shape to be able to decorate during the holiday season while reaping the benefits of these ecologically impactful trees throughout the year. If you decorate your outdoor evergreens for Christmas, we’d love to see photos! Send them to us at help@treeconservationcorps.org.
We’d love to help you get started on your own Virginia Pine or other evergreen (which can be acquired at below-retail price through our tree sale). Let’s grow them together! We can support each other and prune them together throughout the year. Join us in starting a new tradition with your own Virginia Pine in your lawn! We can track our progress and celebrate each holiday season as we deck our pines in Christmas lights together as a community. If you buy a tree to do this with us, let us know so we can coordinate! We look forward to sharing with you all and seeing all the decorated trees in the future holiday seasons!
Give the Gift Of Nature This Year
There are several ways to give the gift of tree care through the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps:
Give a gift card for a tree purchase through NTCC’s tree sale
Donate a tree for NTCC to plant somewhere in Nashville
Donate a dollar amount (see the donation page for a breakdown of what care actions different amounts can fund)
Subscribe to our email newsletter for regular updates on Nashville trees and canopy, and check out our Linktree for more ways to connect.