DIY 1 source Jul 9, 2:41 PM EDT Updated 3h ago 0 views

Longleaf pine: Strongest of the southern pines

Article excerpt

Longleaf pine: Strongest of the southern pines July 9, 2026 | 1:41 pm CDT googletag.cmd.push(function() { // Start by defining breakpoints for this ad. var mapping = googletag.sizeMapping() .addSize([768, 0], [320, 50]) .addSize([480, 0], [320, 50]) .addSize([1366, 0], [970, 90])…

Longleaf pine: Strongest of the southern pines July 9, 2026 | 1:41 pm CDT

googletag.cmd.push(function() {

// Start by defining breakpoints for this ad. var mapping = googletag.sizeMapping() .addSize([768, 0], [320, 50]) .addSize([480, 0], [320, 50]) .addSize([1366, 0], [970, 90]) .addSize([992, 0], [728, 90]) .addSize([400, 0], [320, 50]) .addSize([360, 0], [320, 50]) .build();

googletag.slots["js-dfp-tag-wwn-970x90-"] = googletag.defineSlot("//83945039/WWN_970x90", [[970, 90], [320, 50]], "js-dfp-tag-wwn-970x90-")

.addService(googletag.pubads())

// Apply size mapping when there are breakpoints. .defineSizeMapping(mapping) ;

googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-wwn-970x90-'); });

Wood Explorer

Longleaf pine: Strongest of the southern pines

Gene Wengert

July 9, 2026 | 1:41 pm CDT

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris and Pinus elliottii of the family Pinaceae), also called fat pine or heart pine, is one of the four major species making up the southern pines. It is the strongest of the four, the tallest (over 100 feet) and the most fire resistant.

While the tall, stately longleaf pine once covered 30 to 60 million acres of the southeastern U.S. coastal plain, 200 years of logging and land clearing have greatly reduced its range to 10 percent of the past acreage. The tree takes 100 to 150 years to become full sized and may live for 300 years. Needles are 8 to 18 inches long. Pine cones are 6 to 10 inches long.

A great deal of effort is being placed on protecting younger trees so there will be a supply of older trees in the future for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker who uses the mature trees for nesting. The seeds are an excellent food source for squirrels, turkey, quail and brown-headed nuthatches.

Longleaf pines were a major resource for naval stores in the past (that is, resin or pitch before petroleum-based tars and derivatives were available). The timber was also used for heavy construction, railroad bridges and elevated tracks, floors and cooperage (barrels).

Present uses include floors and large lumber pieces and timbers, especially historical conservation and restoration, as well as typical construction uses. 

There is very limited harvesting of old growth longleaf pine today. Some longleaf pine lumber and timbers have been salvaged from torn down old buildings; others from the bottom of lakes and rivers. 

Processing suggestions and characteristics Common names. Longleaf pine, Florida longleaf, yellow pine, Georgia yellow pine, slash pine, Gulf Coast pitch pine, longleaf pitch pine, turpentine pine

Density. The density of longleaf pine is about 41 to 43 pounds per cubic foot, at 10 percent MC.

Drying. Dries well with little degrade, small movement in service. Moderate resistance to cutting edges, however resin can clog cutting surfaces. Will hold nails and screws well and can be glued without problems.

Gluing and machining. Moderate resistance to cutting edges, however resin can clog cutting surfaces. Will hold nails and screws well and can be glued without problems.

Stability. Longleaf pine is a little more stable than many common species, requiring a 5 percent MC change or greater for a 1 percent size change in the width of flatsawn lumber, and 8 percent MC change in quartersawn stock.

Strength. The strength (MOR) of longleaf is 9400 psi; the stiffness (MOE) is 1.34 million psi; and the hardness is 480 pounds. Corresponding eastern white pine values are 8600 psi, 1.24 million psi, and 380 pounds.

Color and grain. The wood is straight grained, has a medium to fine texture and has pronounced dimples on the split, tangential surface. The sapwood is nearly white to a pale yellow, while the heartwood is light yellow to a yellowish brown. In dried lumber, the sapwood and heartwood are difficult to distinguish.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

About the author

Gene Wengert

Gene Wengert (1942-2025) was popularly known as “The Wood Doctor.” He trained thousands of people in efficient use of wood for more than 50 years and authored foundational resources on wood technology. He worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Virginia Tech. His popular "Wood Doctor's Rx" column has appeared regularly in FDM and FDMC magazine since 1978. Because so much of his advice was timeless, he asked that we continue to run his columns in memoriam.

`j`	Next card
`k`	Previous card
`r`	Read more on focused card
`?`	Show this help