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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resin Content Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Size Varnishing Scientific Name Pinus echinata Trade Name Shortleaf pine Family Name Betulaceae Common Names Hard pine, Shortleaf pine, Shortstraw pine, Southern yellow pine Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Beams, Boat building, Boxes and crates, Bridge beams, Bridge construction, Bridge joists, Construction, Cooperages, Excelsior, Fiberboard, Hardboards, Millwork, Mine timbers, Novelties, Pallets, Particleboard, Piling, Plywood, Poles, Pulpwood, Railroad ties, Shipbuilding, Silos, Stringers, Structural plywood, Structural work, Veneer, Warehouse construction, Woodenware Environmental Profile Environmental status not officially assessed Distribution Overview The geographical range of the species extends from southeastern New York and New Jersey southward to northern Florida, westward to eastern Texas, and north to southern Missouri. The tree usually grows on sites that vary from dry rock mountain ridges to sandy loams and silt of flood plains, and well as in abandoned fields. It is often found in pure stands or in a mixture with other pines and oaks at elevations of up to 3000 feet (1006 m). Heartwood Color Brown Red Purple Light yellow, orange, and red Southern yellow pines are reported to have many characteristics that are similar to Douglas fir. Sapwood Color White Yellow Red Brown Whitish to yellowish, orange-white, or pale yellow Variable width Grain Even Closed Irregular Straight Straight Irregular or uneven grain occasionally Highly figured, with patterns ranging from clear to knotty Closed Contrast between transition from earlywood to latewood is described as striking in its abruptness. Texture Coarse Fine Medium Medium Luster Low Natural Durability Moderately durable Durable Perishable Non-durable Moderate resistance Easily treated with chemical preservatives allowing it to be used in exterior applications Odor Non-Descriptive resinous odor No specific taste Figure occurrence is very fine and distinct Resin Content Resinous Kiln Schedules Regular T13-C6(4/4); T12-C5 (8/4) Schedule L (4/4) United Kingdom Different kiln schedules recommended for highest quality stock Drying Defects Splitting Checking Excessive drying temperatures may cause checks, splits and brown sapwood stains Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Slowly Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries at a moderate speed Naturally dries quickly Naturally dries slowly Tree Size Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Tree height is 30-40 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Bole length is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Product Sources Shortleaf pine is native to 21 southeastern states in the US, and is the most widely distributed of the Southern yellow pines. It is considered to be an important source for timber production, and is a primary source of lumber for construction, millwork, and several other uses. Southern yellow pines which include Shortleaf pine, Longleaf pine (P. palustris), Loblolly pine (P. taeda), and Slash pine (P. elliottii) are reported to have very similar characteristics, which makes them very difficult to separate and are usually mixed and marketed on the basis of density. Substitutes Parana pine (Araucaria angustifolia) is as dense and strong. Blunting Effect Moderate Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Moderate cutting resistance Long pitch saws recommended Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to glue Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Nailing Fair to Good Results Very good nail-holding properties Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy It planes, turns, moulds, bores, and mortises fairly well to yield generally clean finishes High resin content may be troublesome since cutters tend to gum up Fairly good response to ordinary machine tools, with moderate cutting resistance Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Incising before treatment is unnecessary Cellular structure allwos deep, uniform penetration Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds fairly wel to hand tools, with moderate cutting resistance Sanding Good sanding properties Frequent sandpaper changes is usually necessary because of clogging by resin Screwing Fair to Good Results Very good screw holding qualities Steam Bending Unsuitable for steam bending applications because of high resin content Painting Satisfactory painting properties Polishing Fairly satisfactory finishing treatments Durable finish recommended to help minimize wear in material used for flooring Staining Fair to Good Results Responds fairly satisfactoril to most finishing treatments Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Takes varnishes satisfactorily Strength Properties High bending strength in air-dry condition (about 12% moisture content) Heavy Crushing strength = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7252 12838 psi Crushing Strength 343 804 psi Hardness 676 lbs Impact Strength 29 32 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3459 7125 psi Shearing Strength 1362 psi Stiffness 1362 1715 1000 psi Toughness 186 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 8 11 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.44 0.47 Weight 49 34 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 12 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 509 902 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 24 56 kg/cm2 Hardness 306 kg Impact Strength 73 81 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 243 500 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 95 kg/cm2 Stiffness 95 120 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 214 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.56 0.77 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.44 0.47 Weight 785 544 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. Kaiser, Jo-Ann. Wood of the Month: Southern Pine - The Commercial Name for 10 Species. Wood & Wood Products, June, 1991. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Mirov, N.T. 1967. The Genus PINUS. The Ronald Press Company, New York. LCC Card No. 67-14783. NWFA. 1994. Wood Species Used in Wood Flooring. Technical Publication No. A200. National Wood Flooring Association, Manchester, MO. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.