Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Wednesday - September 02, 2015
From: gulfport, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Pruning, Trees
Title: Pruning Spruce Pine (Prunus glabra)
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I have a Pinus glabra/spruce pine that is approx. 7' tall. It's limbs are few and some have been broken. Will trimming back the longer limbs to give it a Christmas shape harm this tree?ANSWER:
Spruce pine is a 100 ft. evergreen with bark unlike that of other pines. At first smooth and gray, it later becomes closely ridged, suggestive of spruces. Needles are short, 1-4 in., and in bundles of two.
The USDA says that Spruce pine will reach 30-50 feet in open areas and it grows slowly. The trunk often twists with age and becomes irregular so don't expect it to create a perfect Christmas tree shape as it matures.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service has a good information sheet on pruning evergreen trees that will help with training your tree while it is young.Certainly prune any broken limbs. You can prune the longer branches but only where there are needles still present.
From the Image Gallery
More Pruning Questions
How to Prune a Mountain Laurel to make it more tree like in Hendersen, NV
April 28, 2011 - How do I prune a Texas Mountain Laurel into a tree? Just bought a 15 gal. with two trunks above the crown. Was told that multiple trunks are their natural growth, which is OK. But all research call...
view the full question and answer
Pruning Cuphea Plants
February 04, 2013 - The David Verity cuphea (cigar plants) that I planted last spring are now 3-4 feet high. I would like to move them, but before I do they seem to need pruning. All the branches are brown and dry lookin...
view the full question and answer
Correcting overgrown Savannah holly in Goldsboro NC
April 24, 2010 - I have an overgrown Savannah Holly. How do I go about correcting?
view the full question and answer
Center of Yucca filamentosa looking rotten in Howell, NJ
May 31, 2009 - I live in central NJ. I planted some Adam's Needle Yucca in my garden around 5 years ago. Since then, they kept growing and ended up developing three trunks off of the main trunk. I noticed recentl...
view the full question and answer
Care for large trumpet vine in Hugo MN
June 09, 2010 - I was recently given a large Trumpet vine that has been growing in the same place for the last 25 years.I have replanted it and given it a large trellis to grow on.I live in central Minnesota. My ques...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |