7 Native Evergreen Trees In Virginia (Pictures & Identification)
Adding evergreen trees to your landscape is a wonderful way to bring year-round greenery and beauty to your home. They can also be a great source of privacy and wind protection.
Virginia has many native evergreen trees to choose from, each with its unique characteristics and benefits. To help you decide which one is right for you, take a look at this list of 7 popular evergreen trees in Virginia. We’ve included pictures and identification tips to help you select the perfect tree for your garden.
Whether you’re searching for a tall and majestic tree or a smaller and more compact option, you’re sure to find the perfect fit here.
So, let’s get started.
1. Northern White Cedar
- Botanical Name: Thuja occidentalis L.
- Common Name: Northern White-cedar, Eastern Arborvitae
- Height Range: 40-70 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 1-3 feet
- Flowers: Males – green tipped with brown, females – green
- Uses: Ornamental, Fencing, posts, lumber, poles, cabin logs, etc.
The Northern White-cedar, commonly known as the Eastern Arborvitae, is a regal evergreen tree that can attain heights of 40 to 70 feet and diameters of 1 to 3 feet.
It stands out in any landscape because of its twisted trunk that often splits into several stems and its uniform, pointed crown.
It does well in cold, wet, and organic soils, which makes it a popular choice for planting near water. Its needle-like, scale-like, and scented foliage is also a preferred food source for deer. In addition, the tree provides birds and small mammals with evergreen habitat.
Northern White-cedar wood is light brown, soft, brittle, coarse-grained, and durable. It has been used for many things, such as fences, posts, timber, poles, cabin logs, shingles, and more.
Native Americans produce a vitamin C-rich tonic tea from the tree’s bark and needles, which have medicinal benefits. According to legend, this tea prevented Jacques Cartier and his crew from contracting scurvy.
In addition to being an important resource for its wood and medicinal characteristics, the Northern White-cedar is also an appealing aesthetic tree. It can be trimmed into hedges to provide a dense, evergreen barrier.
Northern White-cedar is a wonderful choice whether you’re trying to add a touch of natural beauty to your landscape or for a durable and adaptable building material.
2. Live Oak
- Botanical Name: Quercus virginiana Mill.
- Common Name: Live Oak
- Height Range: 50 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 4-6 feet
- Flowers: Males on hanging catkins, females on spikes
- Uses: Ornamental landscape trees, Blocks and ribs on sailing ships, etc
Even though most of the native Oak trees in Virginia are deciduous, Live Oak is an impressive evergreen tree. It can grow up to 50 feet tall and 6 feet wide, with a rather short and broad trunk. In addition, its thick, twisted branches produce a dense, spreading crown.
It is primarily found in dry sandalwoods along the shore. It has 2 to 5-inch long, simple, alternating leaves that characterize Live Oak. The leaves are leathery, oblong, and have rounded tips. The edges of the leaves are usually smooth or only slightly cut. The male blooms are on catkins, while the females are on spikes.
The fruits of the Live Oak are dark brown acorns measuring three-quarters of an inch and covered by a bowl-shaped, warty cap. These acorns develop in one year and grow in clusters of three to five.
The Live Oak’s bark starts dark brown with a hint of red and a few small ridges. Over time, it turns black and smooth.
The wood of the Live Oak is dense and robust, but extremely challenging to saw and dry. It was originally highly valued for sailboat blocks and ribs. The acorns are a reliable and highly valued food source for a wide range of species, and the tree’s ability to handle salt makes it a great landscape tree in southern coastal areas.
3. Shortleaf Pine
- Botanical Name: Pinus echinata Mill.
- Common Name: Shortleaf Pine, Old-Field Pine, Yellow Pine, Shortstraw Pine, Rosemary Pine.
- Height Range: 80-100 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 2-3 feet
- Flowers: Males – red-yellow, females light green-red
- Uses: Interior/exterior finishing, flooring, general construction, veneers, etc.
If you are looking for tall evergreen trees in Virginia, then Shortleaf Pine is a great choice. It can grow up to 80–100 feet tall and have a diameter of 2–3 feet. It is a unique addition to any landscape because of its thin branches and loose, oval, or pyramid-shaped crown.
This pine likes dry ridges and sandy or silty loams, but it can also grow in places that don’t have enough nutrients. It does best in full sun and can handle a little bit of drought.
It can also sprout from the root collar, even if it has been damaged by fire or injury. This tree’s resilient nature makes it a great choice for reforestation and conservation efforts.
The needles of the Shortleaf Pine are thin, dark green, and grow in groups of two or three. In the spring, the male flowers are red to yellow and shaped like cylinders. The female flowers are light green to red and have sharp points.
The cones look like eggs and are 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. They have short stems and stay on the tree for a few years after the seeds have fallen.
The bark is bumpy and has thin, reddish scales on it. Young twigs are green and purple, but they turn reddish-brown as they get older.
Older Shortleaf Pine trees have wood that is heavy, hard, yellow-brown, or orange, and made up of small pieces. It doesn’t have as much resin as other southern pines, which makes it a great choice for finishing inside and outside, flooring, general construction, veneers, paper pulp, and poles.
Not just Shortleaf Pine, most of the pine trees in Virginia are evergreen in nature. These include Eastern White Pine, Longleaf Pine, Pitch Pine, Virginia Pine, etc.
4. Eastern Hemlock
- Botanical Name: Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.
- Common Name: Eastern Hemlock (Hemlock Spruce)
- Height Range: 60-100 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 2-4 feet
- Flowers: Males yellow, females light green
- Uses: Ornamental, Rough, or construction lumber, pulpwood
The Eastern Hemlock, or Hemlock Spruce, is another species of tall evergreen trees in Virginia that can reach heights of up to 100 feet and has trunks that are 2-4 feet in diameter.
Its base is broad, and its shape is pyramid-like, with branches that may have a feathery look and appear to droop. It prefers to grow in shaded areas, where the soil is moist but well-drained, and it is quite tolerant of shade. Eastern Hemlocks are one the longest-living evergreen trees in Virginia with an impressive 800-year of lifespan.
The leaves are flat and round-tipped, measuring ⅓ to ⅔ of an inch long and having two pale lines on the lower surface. Needle bases form small, slender “stems” that are attached to rounded dark orange woody pads on the twigs.
In the spring, male flowers will appear yellow and female flowers will appear light green, both at the tips of the branches. And, in the fall, light brown cones will appear that are ¾ of an inch long, with rounded, entire scales and growing on short, slender stalks.
The wood of the Eastern Hemlock is light, soft, and brittle. It is not frequently harvested due to its brittle nature, but it can be used for rough or construction lumber and for pulpwood. Its bark has been used in the past as a source of tannin for the leather industry.
It also serves as a cover for many wildlife species, such as deer and grouse.
5. American Holly
- Botanical Name: Ilex opaca Ait.
- Common Name: American Holly
- Height Range: 40 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 1-2 feet
- Flowers: Greenish-white
- Uses: Ornamental tree, Interior finishing, musical instrument parts, etc.
The American Holly is a majestic evergreen tree that can reach heights of 40 feet and widths of 1–2 feet. It has a pyramidal shape and its lower branches are typically retained.
Its leaves are simple, alternate, evergreen, leathery, and glossy. They range in length from 2 to 4 inches and have widely spaced spines along the edges.
Flowers of the American Holly appear in late spring. Males occur in groups of 3–7 and are dull greenish-white in color, while the females are single with a pleasant odor.
Fruits that resemble berries and are bright red only appear on female trees. They are a quarter-inch in diameter and attached to a short stalk. These fruits ripen in the fall and stay on the tree all winter.
American Holly thrives in moist, well-drained soils that are acidic. Additionally, it prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade as well.
The American Holly’s wood is light, close-grained, and bone-colored. Even though it’s not a commercially important species, it’s used to finish interiors, make inlays, and veneers, and make fun things.
Songbirds, deer, wild turkeys, and other animals feed on the bitter-tasting berries. The American Holly is also a popular ornamental tree, and its foliage and berries are used to decorate for the holidays. It can also be dyed black to look like tropical ebony wood and used for piano keys and other musical instrument parts.
6. Red Spruce
- Botanical Name: Picea rubens Sarg.
- Common Name: Red Spruce
- Height Range: 60-80 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 1-2 feet
- Flowers: Males – reddish-brown, females – purplish green
- Uses: Lumber, pulpwood, poles, pilings, boat building, barrels, fine musical instruments, wildlife cover.
The majestic Red Spruce, also known as Picea rubens Sarg, is a tree that can reach heights of up to 60–80 feet and diameters of 1-2 feet.
It typically grows above 4,000 feet in rocky, well-drained, but moist soil.
It has needles that are 12 to 58 inches long and a glossy yellow-green color, and cones that are 114 to 2 inches long and a light reddish-brown color. Male flowers are cylindrical and reddish, while female flowers are purplish green.
The bark is dark to greyish brown, with reddish inner bark visible between the scales, and the twigs are orange-brown with fine hairs and short pegs.
Red Spruce is one of the longest-living evergreen trees in Virginia, with a 400-year lifespan. Also, it is one of the trees at high elevations currently threatened by air pollution. In the early days of flight, spruce wood was the preferred material for aircraft frame construction. Once, chewing gum was created from spruce sap that had hardened.
The wood of Red Spruce is light, moderately soft, and strong, and is often used for lumber, poles, pilings, barrels, and musical instruments. Additionally, its stands are an important source of cover for wildlife, especially in winter, as their buds are a major food source for ruffed grouse and red squirrels.
7. Fraser Fir
- Botanical Name: Abies fraseri
- Common Name: Fraser Fir, Christmas Fir
- Height Range: 60-70 feet
- Trunk Diameter: 1-2 feet
- Flowers: Yellow-green
- Uses: Ornamental, Christmas tree, wood products.
Fraser Fir, scientifically known as Abies fraseri, is a majestic evergreen tree that can grow up to 60-70 feet tall and 1-2 feet in diameter. It has a narrow cone-shaped outline and is known for its dense and symmetrical branches.
This tree is native to the Southern Appalachians. It grows best in well-drained, moist, and acidic soils at altitudes above 4,000 feet. It does best in full sun, but it can also grow in some shade.
The needle-like leaves of the Fraser Fir are about 1 inch long and have a dark green top and a lighter green bottom. They feel soft to the touch and smell nice when you crush them.
In late spring, small yellow-green flowers grow on the tree. The cones are about 3 to 4 inches long and have a light brown color. Most of the time, they are on the tree from autumn to winter.
The Fraser Fir tree has a light, soft, and strong wood that is often used to make lumber and other wood products. It is one of the evergreen trees in Virginia that is often used for Christmas trees because its shape is symmetrical and its needles stay on well.
In addition, the Fraser Fir is a keystone species in the ecosystem of the Southern Appalachians because it provides a home for a wide range of animals, including birds and mammals.
Native Evergreen Trees In Virginia – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Let me answer some of the most-asked questions about native evergreen trees in Virginia that you often find on the internet.
Does Virginia have evergreen trees?
Virginia’s landscape and forests are mixed with deciduous and evergreen trees. The Northern White Cedar, Pines, Hemlocks, American Holly, Spruce Trees, Live Oak, and Fraser Fir are all common evergreen trees in Virginia.
Are Oak trees in Virginia evergreen?
Oaks have broadleaves, and the majority of broadleaf trees like Oaks, Maples, and Hickories are deciduous (opposite to evergreen). However, selected varieties like Live Oak are considered evergreen.
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Sources
The Regional Gardening team makes sure that the information in our articles is accurate by only using sources that are known to be trustworthy. Some of these sources are peer-reviewed journals from government agencies, well-known universities, and scientific research organizations.
- The Virginia Department of Forestry
- The Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Virginia Native Plant Society
- The US Forest Service
- Virginia Natural Heritage Program
- Virginia Tech Dendrology
