Longleaf Pine

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris)

Common Name(s): Longleaf Pine

Scientific Name: Pinus palustris

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

Tree Size: 100-115 ft (30-35 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 41 lbs/ft³ (650 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .54

Hardness: 870 lb_f (4,120 N)

Rupture Strength: 14,500 lb_f/in² (100,000 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 1,980,000 lb_f/in² (13,700 MPa)

Crushing Strength: 8,470 lb_f/in² (58.4 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 5.1%, Tangential: 7.5%, Volumetric: 12.2%, 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 moderately resistant to decay.

Workability: Overall, Longleaf Pine works fairly well with most tools, though the resin can gum up tools and clog sandpaper. It has a moderate dulling effect on cutting edges. Longleaf Pine glues and finishes well.

Scent: Has a distinct smell that is shared among most species in the Pinus genus.

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

Longleaf 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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