Facts on Scrub Pine Trees

The scrub pine is a medium-sized evergreen that is native to North America. A resilient and hardy tree, it can often be found growing in very poor, sandy soil. While it has the potential be relatively tall under ideal growing conditions, in less than prime circumstances, the scrub pine will exhibit a stunted growth pattern, remaining quite small.

Planting

From partial to well-drained or from loamy soil to clay, the scrub pine can be planted in almost any type of soil. It does best when placed in full sun and can be easily grown in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8. With regular watering and annual feeding, scrub pines can live up to 90 years reaching 70 feet in height, though the average height is between 20 and 40 feet.

Roots

The roots of the scrub pine tree are home to a fungus that helps the tree to grow. If the fungus is not present, the scrub pine will fail to thrive and may even die. For this reason, a scrub pine should never be bare-root planted. The roots should remain covered in the old soil to ensure the survival of the fungus.

Uses

Because of its rapid growth pattern and ability to grow under a variety of conditions, the scrub pine is frequently used in situations where reforestation is necessary. Additionally, they are a popular choice for Christmas tree farms. In other commercial operations, the scrub pine is planted to be cut and milled for lumber or to be ground for wood pulp.

Pine Trees

They raise their branches to the sky in fields, front yards and other sun-soaked places around the world. They require little water and well-drained, preferably sandy soil. They can live well over 100 years, and some have even been found that are thousands of years old, such as the bristlecone pine that thrives in Nevada's Great Basin National Park. The branches of the pine tree grow laterally from a straight trunk that's covered in bark. Some pine tree species produce just one whorl of distinct branches a year that butts against the tip of the new shoot. The woody plants that become the towering trees that populate cities, forests and national parks across the country are beneficial to the environment as well as commerce. Pine parts are also used for the manufacturing of substances such as pulp and paper, rosin and the cleaning agent turpentine.