What Is A Cedar Pine: Tips On Planting Cedar Pine Hedges

Cedar pine (Pinus glabra) is a tough, attractive evergreen that doesn’t grow into a cookie-cutter Christmas tree shape. Its many branches form a bushy, irregular canopy of soft, dark green needles and the shape of each tree is unique. The branches grow low enough on the trunk of the cedar pine to make this tree an excellent choice for a wind row or tall hedgerow. If you are thinking of planting cedar pine hedges, read on for additional cedar pine tree information.

Cedar Pine Facts

It is not surprising if you ask, “What is a cedar pine?”. Although it is a North American native tree, it is one of the least-seen pines in this country. Cedar pine is an attractive pine with an open crown. The tree grows to over 100 feet (30.5 m.) in the wild with a diameter of 4 feet (1 m.). In cultivation, it often stays considerably shorter. The species is also known as spruce pine because of the texture of the bark of a mature tree. Young trees have grayish bark, but over time develop rounded ridges and scales like spruce trees, turning a deep shade of reddish brown.

Additional Cedar Pine Tree Information

The needles on the cedar pine grow in bundles of two. They are slender, soft, and twisted, usually a dark green but occasionally slightly gray. Needles remain on the tree for up to three seasons. Once the trees are about 10 years old, they begin producing seeds. Seeds grow in reddish brown cones that are shaped like eggs and bear small thorny prickles on the tips. They remain on the trees for up to four years, providing a valuable source of food for wildlife. Cedar pines grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 9. The trees are tolerant of shade and stress and grow best in moist, sandy soils. Appropriately planted, they can live up to 80 years.

Planting Cedar Pine Hedges

If you read up on cedar pine facts, you will find that these trees have many qualities that make them excellent choices for hedges or windbreaks. They are slow growers and generally anchored well into the ground with long tap roots. A cedar pine hedge will be attractive, strong, and long-lived. It will not provide a uniformly shaped line of pine trees for a hedge, as the branches create irregular crowns. However, the branches on cedar pines grow lower than many other species, and their strong roots stand up to the wind.