Common Name: Virginia Pine

General Information

Pinus virginiana is an evergreen tree with an irregularly rounded or flattened crown; it can grow up to 18 metres tall, occasionally to 32 metres. The bole can be straight or contorted, erect or leaning, and up to 50cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. Because the tree is so abundant, the wood is sometimes used as a rough lumber and for pulp[]. The tree is used as a pioneer and in land reclamation projects, whilst young plants are widely sold as 'Christmas trees'[]. The plant is grown as an ornamental, there are several dwarf forms suitable for rock gardens[].
Pinus virginiana has a wide range and the population is increasing. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[].

Botanical References

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Range

Eastern N. America - Indiana to southern New York, south to northern Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina

Habitat

Dry uplands, sterile sandy or shaly barrens, old fields, and lower mountains; at elevations up to 900 metres[]. Found in a variety of soils, the best specimens grow in moderate to well-drained clay, loam or sandy soils[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus virginiana is native to eastern USA, where the climate is humid and cool in most of its range and snowfall can be abundant at least in the northern parts[]. It is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant[].
Pine species in general require a sunny position if they are to grow well and, whilst the different species have their own soil preferences, most will thrive in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam[, ]. This species is naturally restricted in the wild to poorer soils and it avoids calcareous substrates[]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[]. Established plants tolerate drought[]. Succeeds in very acid soils in the wild[].
The tree is sensitive to air pollutants including ozone, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides[].
Pinus virginiana is weedy and fire successional and often forms large stands. It is mostly too small and too profusely branched to be valued except as pulpwood[]..
Trees are very slow growing in this country, apart from the first few years, and rarely make more than a bush on a stem[].
Trees are short-lived in the wild, they can produce cones when 5 years old, though 8 - 10 years is the average[].
The ovoid seed cones are 3 - 8cm long taking two growing seasons to reach maturity. They then open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree, the empty cones persisting on the trees for another 3 - 5 years[, , ].
Large crops are followed by 1 - 2 years of low seed production[].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[]. Rich in oil with a resinous flavour. The pale brown seed is very small and fiddly to utilize, it is only about 4 - 7mm long[, ].

A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood[].

A tea is made from the leaves[].

Medicinal

Oil of turpentine, obtained from the oleo-resin of all pine trees, is antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, rubefacient, stimulant and vermifuge[, ]. It is a valuable remedy used internally in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints and is used both internally and as a rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatic affections[]. It is also very beneficial to the respiratory system and so is useful in treating diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza and TB[].
Applied externally in the form of liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths and inhalers, it is a very beneficial treatment for a variety of skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, boils etc[].

An infusion of the needles has been used in the treatment of high fevers[].

An infusion of the buds has been used to remove worms from the body[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Often used in reforestation projects that are aimed at reclaiming exhausted soils in N. America[]. It succeeds on land that was formerly used for strip-mining coal, helping to start the restoration process[]. The plant is a natural pioneer that invades disturbed land and is found in large tracts of abandoned farmland[]. It can be used in planting programmes to restore native woodland[].
The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat[].

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[].

Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction economically worthwhile[]. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood[, ]. In general, trees from warmer areas of distribution give the higher yields[].
Oil of Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin[] and is separated by distillation[, ]. Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for thinning and dissolving varnish and paints, a shoe polish, medicinal etc[, ].
Rosin is also obtained by distillation of pine resin. This is used in paper glue and soap manufacturing, as a constituent of varnishes and paints, and for coating the bows of stringed musical instruments such as violins[, ].
Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc[].

The wood is coarse-grained, light in weight, soft, weak and brittle, durable in contact with the soil[, , ]. It weighs 33lb per cubic foot[]. It is used mainly for pulp and occasionally as lumber in rough construction[, ]. Historically, it was used for mine timbers, railroad ties, rough lumber.. Currently it is primarily grown for pulp[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[, ].

Propagation

It is best to sow the seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in late winter. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°c can improve the germination of stored seed[]. Plant seedlings out into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them for their first winter or two[]. Plants have a very sparse root system and the sooner they are planted into their permanent positions the better they will grow[]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm[]. We actually plant them out when they are about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they are given a very good weed-excluding mulch they establish very well[]. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[].
Cuttings. This method only works when taken from very young trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding the shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help. Cuttings are normally slow to grow away[].