Pine, Red (Pinus resinosa)

Pine, Red is a domestic softwood

Location

Red pine (Pinus resinosa) is frequently called Norway pine and occasionally known as hard pine and pitch pine. This species grows in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and the Great Lake States

Characteristics

The heartwood of red pine varies from pale red to reddish brown. The sapwood is nearly white with a yellowish tinge and is generally from 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in.) wide. The wood resembles the lighter weight wood of the Southern Pine species group. Latewood is distinct in the growth rings. Red pine is moderately heavy, moderately strong and stiff, moderately soft, and moderately high in shock resistance. It is generally straight grained, not as uniform in texture as eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), and somewhat resinous.

Primary Uses

The wood has moderately high shrinkage, but it is not difficult to dry and is dimensionally stable when dried. Red pine is used principally for lumber, cabin logs, and pulpwood, and to a lesser extent for piles, poles, posts, and fuel. The lumber is used for many of the same purposes as for eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). Red pine lumber is used primarily for building construction, including treated lumber for decking, siding, flooring, sashes, doors, general millwork, and boxes, pallets, and crates.

*Much of the base wood information presented here is made available by the USDA FPL FS. If you are interested in a much more technical description of wood properties, I encourage you to visit the source.