Perfect Pine Trees for Your Marietta Georgia Yard

Avoid the embarrassment of a dead-looking yard in the fall and winter months. Knowing which pine trees to plant in Marietta, Georgia, will help you grow a yard full of color and life.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered the following species information and growing tips for five pine tree species perfect for Marietta, Georgia’s climate, and your yard.

What is Special about Pine Trees?

Pine trees are evergreens, and they keep their needles for about 2 years. When old needles fall, new needles quickly replace them. Pine tree needles can measure from one to eleven inches long, depending on the species. Both male and female pine trees produce pine cones. Consider the following species hardy to Marietta’s zone 7b.

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

The Scots pine is a tall, straight pine tree with distinctive orange-brown bark. Its blue-green needles appear in pairs and can be up to 7cm long. Male cones are yellow while female cones are green, maturing to grey-brown.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach a height of 60 feet with a spread of 40 feet
Soil Requirements – Scots pine trees thrive in acidic (4.5 to 6.0 pH), loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, and even dry soils. The species has some drought tolerance.
Sun Requirement – This pine tree thrives in full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
Needle Length – Scots pine trees feature blue-green needles that vary in length (from one to three inches). Needle color frequently changes to a yellowish-green in the winter.

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

This pine has slender, greenish-blue needles that are two to five inches long and grow in bundles of five. It has long, narrow yellowish-brown cones six to eight inches long. The bark of the Eastern white pine is smooth and gray on young trees, becoming gray-brown and deeply furrowed as the tree ages.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach a height of 80 feet with a spread of 40 feet
Soil Requirements – The eastern white pine grows in acidic (5.5 pH), moist, well-drained, and dry soils. While it grows best in moist soil, the tree can tolerate everything from dry, rocky ridges to bogs.
Sun Requirement – This pine tree species thrives in full sun and partial shade (minimum 4 hours of daily unfiltered sunlight)
Needle Length – Commonly cut down and used as Christmas trees, this species features long, slender, blue-green needles, often reaching five inches in length, in bundles of 5 that are soft and flexible.

Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)

Blue spruce, also known as Colorado spruce, is a conical-shaped evergreen tree with stiff horizontal branches and short, stiff needles. It is a commonly used tree in Midwest landscapes, although the species struggles with fungal infections as it ages.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach a height of 75 feet with a spread of 20 feet
Soil Requirements – This species can adapt to and thrive in moderately acidic (5.5 to 7.0 pH), loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained, and even clay soils. It requires regular moisture with moderate tolerance to both flooding and drought.
Sun Requirement – This pine tree thrives in full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
Needle Length – The Colorado Blue Spruce features stiff, prickly, and roughly 1 to 1½ needles. This species provides privacy and an efficient windbreak when planted in a row.

Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora)

The Japanese white pine has long, narrow yellowish-brown cones six to eight inches long. The bark of the white pine is smooth and gray in its youth, becoming gray-brown and deeply furrowed as it ages.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach a height of 50 feet with a spread of 40 feet
Soil Requirements – Japanese white pines flourish in well-drained, moderately acidic (5.6 to 7.0 pH) soil is the main requirement for success with Pinus parviflora. It is even tolerant of poor soil as long as drainage is good.
Sun Requirement – This pine tree thrives in full sun (minimum 6 hours daily)
Needle Length – Pinus parviflora grows slender, greenish-blue needles that are 2.5-5 inches long, growing in soft bundles of five.

Marietta, Georgia Pine Tree Species

In this article, you discovered information and planting tips for several pine trees hardy to Marietta, Georgia’s zone 7b climate.

Knowing which evergreen pine trees will flourish in your Marietta yard will help you avoid the embarrassment of a dry and lifeless-looking fall and winter landscape and give you an extra outdoor holiday decorating opportunity.

Not planting pine trees in your Marietta yard will leave you with a landscape appearing to be desolate and dead.

Sources:
hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/PINPARA.pdf
arboretum.harvard.edu/plant-bios/colorado-blue-spruce/
plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pinus-strobus/
landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/pinus-sylvestris
extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6815

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