Loblolly Pine

Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)

Common Name(s): Loblolly Pine

Scientific Name: Pinus taeda

Distribution: Southeastern United States, though also widely grown on plantations

Tree Size: 100-115 ft (30-35 m) tall, 1.5-5 ft (.4-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 35 lbs/ft³ (570 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .47

Hardness: 690 lb_f (3,070 N)

Rupture Strength: 12,800 lb_f/in² (88,300 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,790,000 lb_f/in² (12,300 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 7,130 lb_f/in² (49.2 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.8%, Tangential: 7.4%, Volumetric: 12.3%, T/R Ratio: 1.5

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is reddish brown, sapwood is yellowish white.

Grain/Pore: Straight grained with a fine to medium texture and closed pores.

Durability: The heartwood is rated as moderate to low in decay resistance.

Workability: Overall, Loblolly Pine works fairly well with most tools, and it glues and finishes well.

Scent: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.

Safety: Working with pine has been reported to cause allergic skin reactions and/or asthma in some people. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Should be widely available as construction lumber for a modest price.

Comments: Loblolly Pine is considered to be in the group of southern yellow pines, and shares many characteristics with other species of this group (Longleaf, Shortleaf, and Slash Pine) such as being: hard, dense, and possessing an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.

Loblolly Pine is commonly used for construction, such as: stringers, roof trusses, poles, joists, piles; as well as interior applications such as subflooring and sheathing. In exterior applications, it is usually pressure-treated with preservatives.

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