They are then shed and replaced with new needles as the branches grow in length. The branches are stout and woody. The bark is typical for most pines. It forms plates that are reddish brown in color with shallow fissures or furrows. The bark has a coarse appearance.
Cones begin forming in about the fifth year.
They are about 2 inches long and are protected by quite prickly scales. Pollination occurs in early June and cones mature in late September to early November of the following year. Open pollination is used in most Virginia pine seed production. Virginia pine responds well to trimming. And, on Christmas tree plantations their foliage can become extremely dense.